French envoy confers ‘National Order of Merit’ on Ayesha Raza Farooq

2026-02-13 - 21:56

Defence of child rights, access to education & fight against polio Prime Minister’s Focal Person for Polio Eradication and Chairperson of the National Commission on the Rights of Child (NCRC) Ms Ayesha Raza Farooq received on Thursday France’s prestigious award National Order of Merit at a well-attended ceremony hosted by Ambassador Nicolas Galey of France at his residence. In the words of Ambassador Nicolas Galey, the award ‘Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Mérite’ was presented to Ms Ayesha Farooq in recognition of her exceptional commitment to the promotion and defense of human rights, access to education and the fight against polio, as well as the remarkable cooperation you have fostered between Pakistan and France. At the event, one could see a galaxy of notable faces from the Parliament, the government, judiciary, civil society and diplomatic corps attending the event and sharing the joy of achievement with Ms Ayesha Raza Farooq. The happiest among those in attendance must be Mian Nisar Ahmed, father of Ayesha Raza and Fatima (sister) along with other family members. Those who had come to celebrate Ayesha Raza’s award included Finance Minister, Senator Muhammad Aurangzaib, State Minister for Law & Justice Barrister Aqeel Malik, former judge of the Supreme Court and a family member, Justice (R) Khalil Ramday, former ambassador to the US Dr Maleeha Lodhi, Federal Secretary Ministry of Human Rights, Abdul Khalique Sheikh, Federal Ombudsperson for Protection against Harassment at Workplace, Ms. Fauzia Viqar, two prominent rights activists Valerie Khan and Pirbhu Lal Satyani ambassadors of Portugal, Italy, Poland, EU, Greece, Germany, Bulgaria, diplomats and media persons. In her award acceptance speech, Ayesha Raza thanked the ambassador, his wife and the government of France for appreciating her work. Your encouragement has been a great source of motivation for me, she addressed Mr and Mrs Galey. She termed it a singular honour to receive the Ordre National Du Merite, at the rank of Chevalier. She dedicated the honour to her late husband Muhammad Raza Farooq who passed away some 15 years ago. “His values of resilience, courage and compassion continue to guide my journey,” she said. Her son Ibrahim, a lawyer by profession would have loved to attend the ceremony but a work commitment didn’t allow him to do so. While sharing her commitment to protecting rights of children, she said it is being ensured that laws translate into action through monitoring compliance, responding to violations, amplifying children’s voices and holding state institutions accountable. She shared her own experience how swift action can change trajectory of child’s life, just as silence or delay can cause irreversible harm. About her role as PM’s Focal Person on Polio Eradication, she said polio eradication in Pakistan is not only about vaccines; at its core, it is about trust, access and reaching every child—especially those in remote areas. Today, Pakistan stands at a historic turning point as the number of polio cases have dropped from 74 to 31 and the virus is now confined largely to a few remaining pockets. Earlier, welcoming the guests, Ambassador Galey mentioned in his speech the unwavering commitment, energy, sincerity, and tenacity with which Ayesha accomplished great tasks with strong determination constant kindness, a great sense of humor and a profound understanding of the issues. The French Embassy he said shared her priorities and thus contributed to projects supporting children’s rights, such as the awareness campaign led by NCRC against child domestic labor and child sexual abuse, and in favor of enrolment of out-of-school children.