ISLAMABAD The nation’s senior military and civic officials received national awards during a special investiture ceremony held at the President House in honor of the 78th Independence Day, which was celebrated Thursday with a particular emphasis on Marka-e-Haq and the recent armed struggle with India.
One of the honorees was Field Marshal Asim Munir, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who received Hilal-e-Jurat from President Asif Ali Zardari for leading the army through the most trying circumstances.
The recent Pakistan-India dispute, in which Washington mediated a ceasefire between the two nuclear-armed neighbors after New Delhi launched attacks within Pakistan, was the backdrop for the awards presentation.
