President Zardari approves Hilal-i-Imtiaz for Hum Network Chairperson Sultana Siddiqui

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has approved conferring the Hilal-i-Imtiaz, one of Pakistan’s highest civil honours, upon Chairperson of Hum Network Sultana Siddiqui.

Siddiqui, also known as Sultana Apa in the industry, began her career in 1974 as a producer at PTV’s Karachi studio, and went on to launch Hum Network in 2005. The network was ranked among the country’s 25 best-performing companies by the Pakistan Stock Exchange in both 2009 and 2020.

Siddiqui holds the distinction of being the first woman in South Asia to establish a television network. Over the course of her career, she has received numerous awards at both the national and international level, while drama serials produced under her supervision at Hum TV have also picked up multiple honours.

This is not the first time Siddiqui has been recognised by the state, she has previously been awarded the Pride of Performance and the Sitara-i-Imtiaz.

Her latest honour comes as part of a wider list of civil awards approved by the president this year, which includes several other prominent names from Pakistan’s television, music and performing arts industry, alongside recipients from politics, civil service and diplomacy.

Last year, Siddiqui was awarded an honorary doctorate by Buckinghamshire New University for her contributions to media, women’s empowerment and society, presented by Associate Dean Dr Christopher Lewis, who described her as a pioneering media entrepreneur and a champion of women’s empowerment.