KARACHI, 21 August 2026 (News Desk) — Sindh Minister for Culture and Tourism Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah has claimed that the names of renowned actors Mahira Khan and Fahad Mustafa were recommended for the prestigious Sitara-e-Imtiaz, but the federal government rejected both nominations. Addressing the opening ceremony of a theatre festival in Karachi, Zulfiqar Ali Shah said the Sindh Culture Department had submitted the names of Mahira Khan and Fahad Mustafa for the Sitara-e-Imtiaz twice. According to the provincial minister, the nominations were made on the recommendation of a committee comprising prominent personalities. However, the federal government rejected the recommendations to confer the national honour on the two actors. Zulfiqar Ali Shah said the Sindh government was not informed of the reasons behind the rejection of the nominations. The minister maintained that the names of both actors had been recommended in recognition of their contributions to Pakistan’s entertainment and cultural landscape, but the nominations could not be approved at the federal level.