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
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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
Bodies of Pakistani nationals who died attempting illegal migration repatriated from Iran
- Pakistan’s envoy in Tehran warns youth against human smugglers after deaths in harsh weather
- Pakistan reported sharp fall in illegal migration to Europe this year amid nationwide crackdown
ISLAMABAD: The bodies of two Pakistani nationals, who died near the Iran-Türkiye border after attempting to travel illegally to Europe, have been repatriated to the country, said a senior diplomat on Tuesday, reiterating warnings against human smugglers amid an intensified crackdown by authorities in Islamabad on illegal migration.
Pakistan says it has stepped up action against illegal immigration and human trafficking in recent years, reporting a 47% drop in illegal migration to Europe this year and the arrest of more than 1,700 suspected human smugglers, according to official figures.
However, people continue to attempt dangerous irregular journeys in search of work and better economic opportunities abroad.
“The mortal remains of Pakistani nationals Mr. Armanullah s/o Gul Rahman and Mr. Ihtasham s/o Mukhtar Gul, both residents of Nowshera, have been repatriated to Pakistan through Taftan border earlier today,” Pakistan’s ambassador to Iran, Muhammad Mudassir Tipu, said in a post on social media platform X. “Both had fallen victim to the greed of human smugglers and lost their lives in extremely harsh weather conditions near Iran’s border with Turkiye.”
“I once again request the youth back home not to be trapped by human smugglers and instead follow the legal path to travel abroad,” he added, thanking the government of the Balochistan province in Pakistan for arranging the transportation of the bodies and offering condolences to the victims’ families.
The issue illegal immigration has drawn heightened scrutiny since 2023, when hundreds of people, including Pakistani nationals, died attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea in an overcrowded vessel that sank off the Greek coast, prompting Islamabad to launch nationwide investigations into human smuggling and trafficking networks.
Authorities have since arrested Pakistani and foreign nationals at airports with forged travel documents, highlighting the scale of document fraud linked to illegal departures.
In September, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) released a list of more than 100 of Pakistan’s “most wanted” human smugglers and identified major trafficking hubs across Punjab province and the capital, Islamabad.
Earlier this month, Pakistan announced plans to roll out an artificial intelligence-based immigration screening system at Islamabad airport from January, aimed at detecting forged documents and preventing illegal travel abroad, as part of broader efforts to curb human smuggling and unauthorized migration.
