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Nishan-e-Haider
Awarded by Pakistan
Type
Eligibility	Military only (Conferrable on all ranks)
Awarded for	"... to those who have performed acts of greatest heroism or most conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme danger and have shown bravery of the highest order or devotion to the country, in the presence of the enemy on land, at sea or in the air ..."[1]
Status	Currently awarded
Statistics
First awarded	First Kashmir War, 1948
Last awarded	Kargil War, 1999
Total awarded	10
Posthumous awards	all
Precedence
Next (higher)	None
Next (lower)	(2) Hilal-i-Jurat (3) Sitara-i-Jurat (4) Tamgha-i-Jurat

Nishan-e-Haider (Urdu: نشان حیدر, translated as Order of the Lion, abbreviated as NH), is the highest military award given by Pakistan. It is awarded to select soldiers who display valor and courage on the battle field in the face of adversity.

Contents 1 Origins 2 The award 3 Recipients 4 Trivia 5 Gallery 6 Notes & References 7 See also 8 External links

According to Edward Haynes and Lukasz Gaszewski in their International Electronic Phaleristic Encyclopedia, the medal is named after Hyder Naik^{[citation needed]} (1722-1782 CE), better known as Haidar Ali. Naik is said to have changed his name to Ali in honor of the fourth caliph, Ali ibn Abi Talib, owing to Ali's bravery, courage, self-control, and exceptional service to the cause of Islam. However, according to the Combat Heritage of Pakistan Air Force the medal's name can be traced to the epithet "Haider" or "Haydar", Lion, commonly applied to the fourth caliph.

• Category: Operational (Awarded to members of the Armed Forces during times of conflict)
• Definition: It is the highest gallantry award and holds seniority among civil and military awards. It is open to all ranks for acts of heroism/conspicuous courage in circumstances of extreme danger or devotion to the country in the presence of the enemy on land, at sea or in the air.

The Nishan-e-Haider is awarded to both men and women. It is given to living soldiers as well as reward posthumously. The medal has been awarded to only ten soldiers even though Pakistan has been involved in three wars (1948, 1965, 1971) and a major conflict in Kargil during the summer of 1999.

Nishan-e-Haider recipients receive an honorary title as a sign of respect: Shaheed meaning martyr for deceased recipients and Ghazi meaning victor for living recipients. To date, no living person has received the award.

1. Captain. Muhammad Sarwar (1910–July 27, 1948), 6/8 Punjab
2. Major Tufail Muhammad (1914–August 7, 1958), 1 Battlion East Bengal Regiment
3. Major Raja Aziz Bhatti (1928–September 10, 1965), 17 Punjab
4. Major Muhammad Akram (1938–1971), 4 FF
5. Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas (1951–August 20, 1971), PAF Training Squadron
6. Major Shabbir Sharif (1943–December 6, 1971), 6 FF
7. Jawan Sawar Muhammad Hussain(1949–December 10, 1971), 20 Lancers
8. Lance Naik Muhammad Mahfuz (1944–December 17, 1971), 15 Punjab
9. Captain. Karnal Sher Khan (1970–July 5, 1999), 27 Sindh
10. Havaildar Lalak Jan (1967–July 7, 1999), 12 NLI.

District Gujrat has the most recipients, with, Sarwar, Tufail, Bhatti, Akram and Sharif being from that disrict. Rashid Minhas is the only non-army and the youngest recipient, while Muhammad Hussain is the only Private, and only non-infantryman to win it. The Punjab Regiment has four awards, with the Frontier Force two, Sindh and NLI one each, while the armoured corps and the air force have one each as well. The Baloch and Azad Kahmir Regiments do not as yet have a recipient. However, Captain Sarwars battalion is now in the Baloch regiment, and 27 Sindh was originally in the Baloch Regiment.

Captain Muhammad Sarwar	Major Tufail Muhammad	Major Aziz Bhatti	Major Muhammad Akram
Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas	Major Shabbir Sharif	Jawan Sawar Muhammad Hussain	Lance Naik Muhammad Mahfuz
Captain Karnal Sher Khan	Havaldar Lalak Jan

• Awards and decorations of the Pakistan military
• Hilal-i-Jurat
• Medal of Honor
• Pakistan Military

• Nishan-E-Haider
• PAF Falcons - Heroes
• The Shaheed Foundation's list of recipients
• Its Pakistan webpage on military award recipients
• Article on Shabbir Sharif by Nasir M. Khan
• Article on Lalak Jan 'Dohat' by Nasir M. Khan
• Article on Rashid Minhas by PakMilitary.net

v • d • e People awarded the Nishan-e-Haider
1948-1970	Captain Muhammad Sarwar (1948) · Major Tufail Muhammad (1958) · Major Aziz Bhatti (1965)
1971	Major Muhammad Akram · Pilot Officer Rashid Minhas · Major Shabbir Sharif · Jawan Sawar Muhammad Hussain · Lance Naik Muhammad Mahfuz
1972 to date	Captain Karnal Sher Khan (1999) · Havaldar Lalak Jan (1999)

v • d • e Highest awards for gallantry
Commonwealth	Victoria Cross (UK • Australia • Canada • New Zealand) • Param Vir Chakra (India) • Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa (Malaysia) • Nishan-e-Haider (Pakistan) • Parama Weera Vibhushanaya (Sri Lanka)
Other countries	Argentine Nation to the Heroic Valour in Combat Cross (Argentina) • Mannerheim Cross (Finland) • Légion d'honneur (France) • Medal of Valor (Israel) • Order of William (Netherlands) • Medal of Valor (Philippines) • Virtuti Militari (Poland) • Hero of the Russian Federation (Russian Federation) • Laureate Cross of St. Ferdinand (Spain) • Medal of Honor (United States)
Obsolete	Pour le Mérite (Kingdom of Prussia) • Vietnam Military Merit Medal (South Vietnam) • Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Nazi Germany) • Hero of the Soviet Union (Soviet Union) • Order of the Golden Kite (Japan)