PM Narendra Modi conferred with the Highest Civilian Honour of Afghanistan The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has been conferred with Amir Amanullah Khan Award, Afghanistans highest civilian honour. He was bestowed the honour by President Ashraf Ghani after the inauguration of the landmark Afghan-India Friendship Dam in Herat yesterday. The Prime Minister shared his sentiments on Twitter saying, "My deepest gratitude to the Government of Afghanistan for conferring the Amir Amanullah Khan Award." It is the Highest Civilian honour bestowed by Afghan government to Afghan national as well as foreigners in appreciation of their services. The citation on the reverse of the medal reads: nishan-e dawlati Ghazi Amir Amanullah Khan", or "State Order of Ghazi Amir Amanullah Khan." Background: The Amir Amanullah Khan medal is highest civilian honor of Afghanistan. The award is named after the Afghan national hero, Amanullah Khan (Ghazi), who championed the cause of Afghanistans freedom. He was the ruler of the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1919-1929 who led Afghanistan to independence. King Amanullah advanced Afghanistans modernist constitution, incorporated equal rights and individual freedom. He modernised the country, creating cosmopolitan schools for both boys and girls and also increased Afghanistans trade with Europe and Asia. The vision of King Amanullah for an independent and modern Afghanistan remains as relevant today as ever. King Amanullah had strong ties with India, and moved here briefly in 1929. His affectionate ties for the country continue to be reflected in the strong partnership between the two nations. PM Modi received the Amir Amanullah Khan award following the inauguration of the Afghan-India Friendship Dam in Heart on 4 June. As the first Indian, and amongst only a handful of foreign leaders to receive the award, it signifies the strength of a unique relationship and is a testament to the personal commitment of the PM in advancing India-Afghan ties. This award was instituted by the Afghanistan government in 2006. Previous recipients include: US President George Bush, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, NATO General James Jones, former Afghan President spiritual leader Sibghatullah Mujaddedi, and Afghan Chief Justice (CJ) Abdul Salam Azimi
