December 11, 2025
JAKARTA – President Prabowo Subianto wrapped up his visit to Islamabad on Tuesday after being awarded the Nishan-e-Pakistan, Pakistan’s highest civilian honor, for his role in advancing bilateral ties between the two countries after the signing of several cooperation deals.
Presented by Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, the awarding ceremony took place at the Aiwan-e-Sadr Presidential Palace in a state procession attended by top Pakistani officials and parliament members.
“The award reflects the Pakistani government’s recognition of Indonesia’s strategic role in the Indo-Pacific region and President Prabowo’s commitment to strengthening defense, economic and solidarity among the Islamic world,” as written in a statement from the Presidential Secretariat issued on late Tuesday.
Prabowo became the second Indonesian to receive the honor, after former president and his former father-in-law Soeharto who received the award in 1982.
According to a Pakistani official statement, Prabowo held talks with President Zardari ahead of the ceremony. They reviewed growing trade ties and discussed expanding cooperation in several areas, such as IT, renewable energy, halal products and infrastructure.
The two leaders also discussed various regional and geopolitical topics, including further multilateral cooperation, supporting Palestinian independence and the situation in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir.
Zardari also offered his condolences over the floods and landslides in northern Sumatra which killed at least 969 people, as of Wednesday afternoon. Prabowo flew directly from Aceh, one of the affected provinces, to Islamabad on Monday morning.
“President Zardari conveyed his heartfelt condolences over the tragic loss of life and the widespread devastation caused by recent floods and landslides in Sumatra,” the Pakistani statement said.
“He prayed for eternal peace for those who lost their lives and wished a swift and full recovery to all those injured in this calamity.”
Both leaders also expressed the intent to work more closely for peace, stability and prosperity.
Earlier on Tuesday, Prabowo held bilateral talks with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, during which the two leaders witnessed the signing of seven cooperation deals, including key agreements on higher education and health.
Tuesday’s talks also saw Islamabad pledge medical personnel and experts to support Prabowo’s push to expand Indonesia’s medical schools.
Prabowo’s visit to Pakistan drew widespread public criticism, with many Indonesian netizens calling on the President to remain in the country as authorities continue to grapple with the aftermath of Sumatra’s floods and landslides, which was triggered by Tropical Cyclone Senyar on Nov. 25.
As of Tuesday, both the central government and regional administrations were still struggling to deliver necessary aid to several affected areas that were cut off by collapsed bridges, blocked roads and damaged infrastructure. Nearly 900,000 evacuees took shelter across Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra.
After Islamabad, Prabowo headed to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to talk about strategic cooperation and latest geopolitical developments. A meeting between the two leaders and their entourage was live streamed on the Presidential Secretariat’s official YouTube channel on Wednesday afternoon.