Pakistan confers highest civilian award on Jordan’s King Abdullah II

President Asif Ali Zardari conferrs Pakistan’s highest civilian award, ‘Nishan-e-Pakistan,’ on Jordan’s King Abdullah II, on November 16, 2025. (PID)
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Updated 17 November 2025
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Pakistan confers highest civilian award on Jordan’s King Abdullah II

  • King Abdullah II, President Asif Ali Zardari review regional and global developments, with a focus on the Middle East
  • The two leaders reject any displacement of Palestinians, emphasize need for a Two-State solution, Zardari’s office says

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday conferred Pakistan’s highest civilian award, ‘Nishan-e-Pakistan,’ on Jordan’s King Abdullah II during his state visit to the South Asian country, President Zardari’s office said.

The honor was bestowed on the visiting monarch at a special investiture ceremony attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, members of the federal cabinet, military chiefs and members of the diplomatic corps.

On the occasion, the Jordanian king also conferred on President Zardari the ‘Wisam Al-Nahdah Al-Mursa,’ or the Order of the Renaissance, according to the Pakistan president’s office.




Jordan’s King Abdullah II conferrs ‘Wisam Al-Nahdah Al-Mursa,’ or the Order of the Renaissance, on Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on November 16, 2025. (PID)

President Zardari and King Abdullah earlier held a meeting, at which they reaffirmed longstanding, fraternal ties between Pakistan and Jordan, and discussed the full range of bilateral relations.

“They also reviewed regional and international developments of mutual concern, with particular focus on peace, stability and security in the Middle East,” the president’s office said in a statement.

“They noted the need to build on the strength of these relations and to encourage greater people-to-people contact between the two countries.”

Both sides underlined the importance of working together in multilateral forums and of promoting humanitarian and development cooperation, according to President Zardari’s office.

On Palestine, the president and the Jordanian king reiterated their shared principled position on post-war Gaza.

“They rejected any displacement of Palestinians and emphasized the need for a Two-State solution. They called for the establishment of an independent, sovereign, viable and contiguous State of Palestine on pre-June 1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital,” the statement read.

“Both leaders expressed confidence in the future direction of Pakistan-Jordan relations and agreed to maintain close coordination on bilateral, regional and global issues.”


‘Fully stand with Bangladesh’: Pakistan PM backs decision to boycott India match

Updated 04 February 2026
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‘Fully stand with Bangladesh’: Pakistan PM backs decision to boycott India match

  • Pakistan’s government have not allowed the national cricket team to play its World Cup match against India on Feb. 15
  • Pakistan has accused India of influencing ICC decisions, criticized global cricket body for replacing Bangladesh in World Cup

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday backed his government’s decision to bar the national men’s cricket team from playing against India in the upcoming T20 World Cup tournament, reaffirming support for Bangladesh. 

Pakistan’s government announced on social media platform X last week that it has allowed its national team to travel to Sri Lanka for the World Cup. However, it said the Green Shirts will not take the field against India on their scheduled match on Feb. 15. 

Pakistan’s participation in the tournament was thrown into doubt after Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi criticized the International Cricket Council (ICC) for replacing Bangladesh with Scotland. The decision was taken after Bangladesh said it would not let its team travel to India out of security concerns. 

During a meeting of the federal cabinet, Sharif highlighted that Pakistan has said that politics should be kept away from sports. 

“We have taken this stand after careful consideration and in this regard, we should stand fully with Bangladesh,” Sharif said in televised remarks. 

“And I believe this is a very reasonable decision.”

Pakistan has blamed India for influencing the ICC’s decisions. The global cricket governing body is currently led by Jay Shah, the head of the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Shah is the son of Indian Home Minister Amit Shah. 

Pakistan’s boycott announcement has triggered media frenzy worldwide, with several Indian cricket experts and analysts criticizing Islamabad for the decision. An India-Pakistan cricket contest is by far the most lucrative and eagerly watched match of any ICC tournament. 

The ICC has ensured that the two rivals and Asian cricket giants are always in the same group of any ICC event since 2012 to capitalize on the high-stakes game. 

The two teams have played each other at neutral venues over the past several years, as bilateral cricket remains suspended between them since 2013 due to political tensions. 

Those tensions have persisted since the two nuclear-armed nations engaged in the worst fighting between them since 1999 in May 2025, after India blamed Pakistan for an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that killed tourists. 

Pakistan denied India’s allegations that it was involved in the attack, calling for a credible probe into the incident.