Islamabad, December 16: Pakistan will posthumously confer one of its highest civilian honours on late US Special Envoy for Af-Pak region Richard Holbrooke for his “untiring efforts” to strengthen this country’s ties with America.
President Asif Ali Zardari said that the ‘Hilal-e-Pakistan’ will be awarded to Holbrooke, who died on Tuesday of complications from surgery, for his meritorious services in enhancing the bilateral ties.
He made the announcement during a visit to the US embassy yesterday to offer his condolences at the death of Holbrooke.
Recording his message in the embassy’s condolence book, Zardari wrote: “Pakistanis, like many other around the world, mourn the death of Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, a great intellect and force for good, a personal friend of Pakistan, my wife Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and myself.”
He wrote that Holbrooke’s “untiring efforts to enhance US-Pakistan relations and his assistance during the Swat crisis and the devastating floods that have affected Pakistan will never be forgotten”.
-PTI