Hilal-i-Jur'at - Eligibility and Privileges

Eligibility and Privileges

Officers serving in the Pakistani Armed Forces, including and limited to the Pakistan Army, the Pakistani Navy and the Pakistani Air Force, are the only eligible potential recipients for the award. It is conferred for acts of valour, courage, bravery and devotion to duty. The following is an extract, a word for word statement stating the eligibility of the medal on the Pakistan Army website.

This award is conferrable on officers only, for acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty, performed on land, at sea or in the air in the face of the enemy. –

The recipients of the medal are allowed to use the honorific post nominal title letters "HJ" after their names as stated again by the Pakistan Army:

The recipient has the privilege to add the letters “HJ” after his name. –

Although there rules are clear, there have been some challenges to change the rules. In March 2009 a group of policeman in Islamabad challenged the eligibility requirements by campaigning for the medal to be given to Faisal Khan, a police officer, who gave up his life by successfully preventing an Uzbek suicide bomber from entering a police station and causing massive widespread casualties. The journalist covering the incident wrote about the anger felt in the community, particularly from the policeman whom Faisal Khan worked with:

...So sad is the situation that the police have to submit a recommendation for an award ‘Hilal-i-Jurrat’ and more money for his brave feat... –

Khan had adamament dreams of joining the military in his youth or the police force. Whilst he was a police officer he was said to have wanted to "die in the line of duty", serving in the military for his country; many of his colleagues felt that this was a viable reason for him qualifying for the Hilal-i-Jur'at since he didn't receive any gallantry award, only a cash lump sum.