<p>The lawmakers were conferred the honour on the occasion of Pakistan Day. They were part of the 26-member Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms and included a Senator from the ruling PPP. They declined to receive the civilian award for different reasons.<br /><br />The seven men did not attend yesterday's investiture ceremony at the Presidency where President Asif Ali Zardari decorated 130 recipients of civilian and military awards.<br />Three lawmakers of the opposition PML-N collectively decided not to accept the awards in line with their party's protest during the presidential address to a joint sitting of parliament on Tuesday.<br /><br />PML-N spokesman Ahsan Iqbal said there was consensus in his party that it would send a wrong message to people if its members received an award from the President just a day after their boycott of his speech in parliament.<br /><br />Three Senators from Balochistan, including Lashkari Raisani of the PPP, did not accept the award to protest the deteriorating law and order situation in their province.<br />Raisani, the brother of Balochistan Chief Minister Aslam Raisani, told the Dawn newspaper he could not receive the medal at a time when bodies were being found in his province daily in the presence of personnel of secret agencies.</p>.<p>"The (secret) agencies people are roaming freely in my province. People are being killed daily and mutilated bodies are found. So how can I receive the award even if it is announced by the government of my own party? My conscience did not allow me to do so," he said.<br /><br />Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman skipped the ceremony to protest US drone attacks in the tribal areas though a Senator from his party received the award from the President.<br /><br />Two lawmakers of the PML-Q and Jamaat-e-Islami who were part of the parliamentary panel received their awards.<br /><br />Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had announced the grant of the highest civilian award of Nishan-i-Imtiaz to all 26 members of the parliamentary panel in recognition of their services.</p>
<p>The lawmakers were conferred the honour on the occasion of Pakistan Day. They were part of the 26-member Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms and included a Senator from the ruling PPP. They declined to receive the civilian award for different reasons.<br /><br />The seven men did not attend yesterday's investiture ceremony at the Presidency where President Asif Ali Zardari decorated 130 recipients of civilian and military awards.<br />Three lawmakers of the opposition PML-N collectively decided not to accept the awards in line with their party's protest during the presidential address to a joint sitting of parliament on Tuesday.<br /><br />PML-N spokesman Ahsan Iqbal said there was consensus in his party that it would send a wrong message to people if its members received an award from the President just a day after their boycott of his speech in parliament.<br /><br />Three Senators from Balochistan, including Lashkari Raisani of the PPP, did not accept the award to protest the deteriorating law and order situation in their province.<br />Raisani, the brother of Balochistan Chief Minister Aslam Raisani, told the Dawn newspaper he could not receive the medal at a time when bodies were being found in his province daily in the presence of personnel of secret agencies.</p>.<p>"The (secret) agencies people are roaming freely in my province. People are being killed daily and mutilated bodies are found. So how can I receive the award even if it is announced by the government of my own party? My conscience did not allow me to do so," he said.<br /><br />Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman skipped the ceremony to protest US drone attacks in the tribal areas though a Senator from his party received the award from the President.<br /><br />Two lawmakers of the PML-Q and Jamaat-e-Islami who were part of the parliamentary panel received their awards.<br /><br />Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had announced the grant of the highest civilian award of Nishan-i-Imtiaz to all 26 members of the parliamentary panel in recognition of their services.</p>