Hero’s welcome for Arshad as he returns home with Olympic gold

LAHORE: Pakistan welcomed its national hero, Arshad Nadeem, with grand celebrations as he returned to the country during early hours on Sunday with a gold medal after a 40-year-long wait in the Paris Olympics 2024.

The flight of Arshad Nadeem, who made the nation proud with his exceptional performance in the Olympic Games Paris 2024, landed at Lahore Airport at 01:30 am.

A large crowd, including family members, ministers and dignitaries, gathered at the airport to greet the champion, while people from his hometown, Mian Channu, also reached Lahore to participate in the celebrations. The security arrangements at the Allama Iqbal Airport were strict as a large police force and ASF personnel took over position.

As Arshad Nadeem’s flight entered the Pakistani airspace, the air traffic controller extended a warm welcome, praising him for bringing honor to the country.

The plane, which arrived from Istanbul, was given a water cannon salute upon landing at the Lahore Airport. A special ceremony was also planned at the airport lounge to celebrate Arshad’s homecoming.

Meanwhile, President Asif Ali Zardari has directed for conferment of Hilal–i-Imtiaz upon Arshad Nadeem for displaying a record-setting performance in the Paris Olympics 2024, in the category of Javelin throw.

According to an announcement of Media Wing of the President Secretariat on Saturday, the president would confer the civil award upon Arshad Nadeem during a special ceremony under Article 259(2) of the Constitution. Under the constitutional provision, the president can confer Pakistani citizens with civil awards in recognition of their meritorious services in different fields of life.

The president said that Arshad Nadeem, with his brilliant performance, had made the nation proud in the field of sports. Nadeem’s marvelous achievement at the international level brought laurels to the nation. The athlete had raised the name of the country in athletics, said the letter.

Meanwhile, the government issued a special postage stamp on the occasion of 77th Independence Day to honour Arshad Nadeem and the freedom struggle of the Pakistani nation and its achievements.

The initiative had been taken on the special directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, said a news release issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Saturday said.

The special postage stamp has been titled “Azm-e-Istehkam” which is a testament to the country’s commitment to development and prosperity.

A picture of javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem has been added to the stamp to pay tribute to him for winning a gold medal and setting a new Olympic record by throwing the javelin at a distance of 92.97 meters at the Paris Olympics 2024.

According to the news statement, the freedom struggle of Pakistani nation and its symbolic importance have been highlighted by adding an image of Minar-e-Pakistan to the stamp.

The stamp issued by the Government of Pakistan on the occasion of Independence Day would continue to remind the future generations not only about the struggle and sacrifices made by our ancestors for the freedom but also the commitment of the government for the development of Pakistan.

Meanwhile, the government has regarded as baseless the information on social media that the Federal Board of Revenue was preparing to tax Arshad Nadeem on his prize money.

“There are some misleading and disturbing rumours in the electronic and social media that FBR is getting ready to tax the prize money received or to be received by our national hero Arshad Nadeem. It is simply a baseless rumour,” the government said in a statement.

“It is clarified at the outset that Arshad Nadeem is our national hero who has not only elevated Pakistan’s image in the whole world but has made the whole Pakistani nation overjoyed by winning a gold medal after 40 years in the Olympics. It is clarified that there is no withholding tax on his prizes and the Government of Pakistan and FBR are determined to make his income exempt much before he files his return in September, 2025,” it added.