Pakistan honors envoys slain in crash
ISLAMABAD—Pakistan on Monday handed one of its highest civilian awards to two foreign ambassadors killed in a helicopter crash in a remote northern valley in the Gilgit-Baltistan region.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced the posthumous Sitara-e-Pakistan (civil gallantry) award to Domingo D. Lucenario Jr. of the Philippines and Leif H. Larsen, the Norwegian envoy, at a memorial ceremony held in Islamabad on Tuesday. The same award would also be conferred on the wives of the Malaysian and Indonesian ambassadors, killed in the same incident along with the helicopter’s two pilots and a crew member while landing in Naltar valley on Friday.
“In recognition of their services, for their contribution to forging closer bilateral relations, I am recommending to the President to bestow our civil gallantry award, Sitara-e-Pakistan, on Ambassador Larsen of Norway, Ambassador Lucenario of the Philippines, Madam Habibah binti Mahmud of Malaysia and Madam Heri Listyawati of Indonesia,” Sharif said in a televised speech.
