Uzbek president awarded Pakistan's highest civil honour

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was awarded the Nishan-e-Pakistan, the highest civil honour of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, during a special investiture ceremony held at Aiwan-e-Sadr in Islamabad on Friday, as both countries reaffirmed plans to deepen strategic and economic cooperation.

President Asif Ali Zardari formally conferred the award on the visiting Uzbek leader in recognition of his role in strengthening Pakistan-Uzbekistan relations and promoting multifaceted bilateral cooperation. The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, federal cabinet members, senior military officials, parliamentarians and members of the diplomatic corps, followed by a state banquet in honour of the guest.

President Asif Ali Zardari hosted President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan at Aiwan-e-Sadr today. The leaders discussed trade, connectivity, defence, culture and regional cooperation. The President also conferred the Nishan-e-Pakistan on the Uzbek President. @president_uz pic.twitter.com/EGMlOFuR72

— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) February 6, 2026

The Nishan-e-Pakistan has previously been awarded to several global figures, including Queen Elizabeth II, Richard Nixon, Nelson Mandela, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Hu Jintao, Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

High-level talks

Ahead of the ceremony, President Zardari and President Mirziyoyev held a tête-à-tête meeting and later led delegation-level talks at the presidential residence, reviewing the current state and future direction of bilateral ties. Discussions covered trade, connectivity, defence, security, culture and people-to-people exchanges, along with regional and international issues linked to peace and stability.

President Zardari described Pakistan and Uzbekistan as natural and enduring partners bound by shared history, culture and faith. He said Pakistan attaches great importance to the relationship and is committed to expanding cooperation in connectivity, trade and public engagement.

He highlighted the progress made through recent high-level contacts and welcomed the outcomes of the first meeting of the Strategic Cooperation Council, calling the visit historically significant for giving fresh momentum to bilateral relations.

President Mirziyoyev said Uzbekistan places high priority on its strategic partnership with Pakistan and noted steady growth in bilateral contacts, joint ventures and cooperation projects across priority economic sectors. He directed his ministers to maintain close coordination with Pakistani counterparts to accelerate implementation.

Trade and connectivity

Both sides noted the upward trend in bilateral trade and investment and reaffirmed their shared objective of increasing trade volume to $2 billion in the near future. President Zardari stressed the need to unlock the full economic potential of the partnership and called for stronger collaboration between financial institutions and banks to support trade and investment flows.

Connectivity remained a central theme of the talks, including focus on the Uzbekistan–Afghanistan-Pakistan Railway Project and broader regional transport links. The Pakistani president said direct air connections were already bringing the two nations closer and helping business and tourism.

Uzbekistan announces 10-year tax exemption for Pakistani trader

President Mirziyoyev announced that two additional direct flights would be introduced, raising the total number of weekly flights between the two countries to six to support tourism, business and people-to-people contacts.

The leaders also underlined the importance of expanding interregional cooperation and agreed to hold the first Forum of Regions in Khiva later this year.

Cultural and institutional links

The Uzbek president received praise for wide-ranging socio-economic reforms under Uzbekistan’s Development Strategy-2030. Both sides reaffirmed commitment to expanding cooperation in education, culture, environment, sports and humanitarian fields, and pledged mutual support at international organisations.

On Thursday, President Mirziyoyev also took part in ceremonies in Islamabad where a street was named in honour of Uzbekistan and a park was dedicated to Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur. He was additionally awarded honorary academic titles during his engagements.

At the close of the meetings, President Mirziyoyev invited President Zardari to undertake an official visit to Uzbekistan, with diplomatic channels tasked to coordinate future exchanges.