Pak to confer highest civilian award on Holbrooke

The Pakistan government has announced it would posthumously confer the Hilal-i-Pakistan, one of the country's highest civilian honours, on late United States Special Representative Richard Holbrooke.

Acting on the advice of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, President Asif Ali Zardari approved the award of the Hilal-i-Pakistan

on Holbrooke, said an official statement on Tuesday. The announcement was made on the eve of Pakistan Day.

Holbrooke, the US Special Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan, died in December.