ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday announced a cash prize of Rs150 million ($538,000) and a civil award for Pakistani javelin hero Arshad Nadeem for winning Olympic gold, Pakistani state media reported.
Last Thursday, Nadeem set off celebrations across Pakistan when his throw easily surpassed the previous Olympic mark of 90.57 set by Andreas Thorkildsen of Norway in 2008. It was also well clear of India’s Neeraj Chopra, the Tokyo champion, who reached a season-best 89.45 for silver.
The announcement by the Pakistan premier came at a dinner ceremony held in Islamabad in honor of Nadeem. PM Sharif paid a tribute to Nadeem for his success in the men’s javelin throw competition at Paris Olympics 2024, describing him as a “bright example” for young athletes, the state-run Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“Success of Arshad Nadeem provides an ample proof that meager resources, difficulties and challenges are not a hurdle in the way of success,” Sharif was quoted as saying.
The prime minister announced Hilal Imtiaz, the second highest civilian award, for Nadeem for winning Pakistan’s first Olympic gold medal in 40 years.
He also announced the establishment of Arshad Nadeem High Performance Academy at Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad, where athletes and players would be trained for the 2028 Olympics, and a sports endowment fund of Rs1 billion, according to the report.
Earlier on Tuesday, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz visited Nadeem’s house in his village in the Mian Channu district and presented him with a cheque for Rs100 million rupees ($359,000).
Nawaz also handed him keys to a new car which had a special registration number of “PAK 92.97” to commemorate Nadeem’s massive throw in Paris. Nadeem’s coach Salman Iqbal Butt was also given 5 million rupees ($18,000).
PM announces Rs150 million prize, civil award for Pakistani javelin hero Arshad Nadeem
https://arab.news/pu8x9
PM announces Rs150 million prize, civil award for Pakistani javelin hero Arshad Nadeem
- Nadeem last week set off celebrations in Pakistan when his 92.97-meter throw easily shattered the previous Olympic record
- Nadeem won Pakistan’s first Olympic gold in 40 years, when the men’s field hockey team won at the 1984 Los Angeles Games
Pakistan’s Mahnoor Omer named among TIME’s ‘Women of the Year’ for 2026
- Omer moved a Pakistani court against the so-called ‘period tax’ in Sept. 2025 which has since sparked a national debate
- Taxes on sanitary pads in Pakistan can add up to 40 percent to retail price, UNICEF says only around 12 percent women use such products
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani women’s rights activist Mahnoor Omer, who fought against taxes on menstrual products, has been named among the TIME magazine’s ‘Women of the Year’ for 2026.
Omer’s efforts have been recognized alongside 16 activists, artists, athletes and businesswomen in the TIME’s Women of the Year 2026 list, including Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Chloe Zhao.
Dissatisfied with the efforts to educate Pakistani girls about sexual violence, Omer founded the Noor Foundation at the age of 14 and held her own workshops with village girls about everything from climate change to menstruation, according to the TIME magazine.
Two years later, a conversation with a domestic worker about the price of pads made her realize that not everyone could afford these essentials. She moved a court against the so-called “period tax” in Sept. 2025 and the case has sparked a national debate on the subject, considered a taboo by many in Pakistan, since its first hearing late last year.
“A decade and one law degree after her interest in activism was sparked, Omer, now 25, is putting her passion and expertise to work in the name of gender equity,” TIME wrote about Omer on its website.
Taxes imposed on sanitary products in Pakistan can add up to 40 percent to the retail price. UNICEF estimates just 12 percent of women in the country use commercially produced pads or tampons. The alternative, using cloth, risks health impacts including rashes and infections, and can make it impossible for girls to attend school while menstruating.
Omer’s suit, which awaits the government response, has sparked a national discussion. She says she spoke about menstruation to her father and male cousins, who thanked her for standing up for their daughters.
The 25-year-old, who is currently enrolled in a master’s degree in gender, peace, and security at the London School of Economics, sees this case as just the first of many.
“I’m not free until every woman is free,” she was quoted as saying by TIME. “I want to leave no stones unturned in terms of what I can do with the next few decades, as a lawyer for the women in my country and gender minorities in general.”
