Shehzad Roy will be awarded his second Sitara-e-Imtiaz today

Roy was first awarded the honour for his NGO's efforts to rehabilitate the victims of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake

Updated 23 Mar, 2018

Pop singer and philanthropist Shehzad Roy is being awarded the Sitara-e-Imtiaz today.

The 'Laga Reh' singer revealed this latest honour on Twitter, saying that he will dedicate the award to the "selfless dedication" of the "many unsung heroes who may never be publicly recognised but work every day to reform our society".

Shehzad Roy is the founder and president of Zindagi Trust, which aims to improve the quality of education across Pakistan. His NGO also greatly contributed towards the rehabilitation of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, which earned him his first Sitara-e-Imtiaz in 2005 and the Sitara-e-Ehsaar in 2006.

Sitara-e-Imtiaz is Pakistan's third highest civilian honour, awarded to individuals who have made significant contributions to the security or national interests of Pakistan, world peace, cultural or other significant public endeavours.

Previous recipients of the Sitara-e-Imtiaz include singer Ghulam Ali, poet Ahmed Faraz, filmmaker Syed Noor, writer Saadat Hasan Manto, former cricketer Inzamam ul Haq, architect/heritage conservationist Yasmeen Lari, actor Waheed Murad, artist Jamil Naqsh and novelist Bapsi Sidhwa.