Karachi is getting ready to roll out the red carpet for one of the most anticipated nights of its awards calendar. On Saturday, October 24, the Mövenpick Hotel will host the 10th Pakistan Excellence Awards 2026, a milestone edition that celebrates a full decade of honouring the men and women who have made Pakistan proud. Organised by the Pakistan Excellence Club, the evening carries the theme “Celebrating a Decade of Excellence”, built around three simple words: unity, progress and prosperity.
Few platforms in the country can claim the journey this one has had. Over the past ten years, the Pakistan Excellence Awards have honoured more than 500 recipients, from celebrated artists and athletes to public servants, scientists, business leaders, climate champions and humanitarian workers. This year, fresh categories across art and culture, sports, leadership, media, technology and business promise to bring a new generation of achievers into the spotlight. This edition also introduces the Armed Forces Awards for the first time in the ceremony’s history.
An evening blessed by governors, graced by stars
The excitement building around the ceremony is easy to see on the club’s official page, where goodwill messages have been pouring in for weeks. Gilgit-Baltistan Governor Syed Mehdi Shah sent his best wishes for the milestone night, praising the Pakistanis whose work quietly strengthens the country. Sindh’s Director General for Culture, Habibullah Memon, went a step further and revealed what guests can expect: a celebration of the cultural heritage of all four provinces, with artists performing live on stage, while bureaucrats and parliamentarians join the evening to personally present the awards. Muhammad Irfan Soomro, the Foreign Office’s Director General in Karachi, described the ceremony as a premier event on the city’s business calendar and congratulated this year’s nominees.
The world of showbiz is standing firmly behind the awards as well. Actor Faisal Qureshi, in a recorded conversation, reflected that the honour matters because it recognises genuine effort rather than simply handing over a trophy. Legendary singer Hassan Jahangir congratulated chairman Hameed Bhutto for building a platform that has kept recognising outstanding Pakistanis year after year, while actor Azfar Rehman and singer Saleem Javed — himself a proud past recipient of the award — added their voices to the chorus of good wishes. Actor Ayaz Khan has been announced for a special guest appearance at the ceremony, while actress Yashma Gill and artist and philanthropist Jimmy Engineer also sent their wishes. Interview clips from Aftab Alam and a confirmed guest appearance by media influencer Saad Bin Sultan Khan have added to the sense that this will be a night where many worlds of Pakistani achievement meet under one roof.
Three hosts, one grand stage
Holding an evening of this size together takes experienced hands, and this year the ceremony will be steered by a trio of hosts: A K Memon, Agha Sherazi and Hanif Sagar, whose names the club unveiled on its official guest appearance posters.
Among them, Agha Sherazi is a face Pakistani television viewers know well. An anchorperson, stage host and radio broadcaster who is equally at home as a public speaker and debater, Sherazi currently hosts “Aaghaz”, the prime-time current affairs show on One News that airs Monday to Friday at 8:05 pm. Live ceremonies are familiar territory for him — he presides over the Apna Karachi Awards as its president — and his presence promises an evening that moves with pace, polish and warmth.
The people behind the platform
Behind the glitter stands a large and organised team. The club is led by its Patron-in-Chief, Engr. Lt (Retd) M. Iqbal Qureshi, and its Chairman, television anchor Hameed Bhutto, with Anwar Ali Sangi serving as Chief Patron. Secretary General Syed Shakir Shah and Abdul Salam Dadabhoy, General Secretary of Excellence World, help run the organisation, while five committee presidents — Hasnain Pardesi, Shahid Bobby, Haji Masood Parekh, Siraj Iqbal and Muzaffar Alam Siddiqui — look after investment, welfare, events and the regions. A ten-member executive board, including Munawar Ali Mahesar, Shams Jafrani, Abdul Aleem Lashari, Shamsuddin Soomro, Rahmatullah Shaikh, Ghulam Azfar Mahesar, M. Shariq Ahmed, Tarique Qadir Lakhiar, Nadeem-ur-Rehman Memon and Ghulam Qadir Thebo, completes the leadership, and executive members including Zahoor Ahmed, RTN Dr Manzar Alam, M Nadeem Shaikh and Safiullah Jokhio have already confirmed they will be in the hall on the night.
Preparations have been visibly under way for weeks. Earlier this month, club members gathered at the DHA Creek Club in Karachi, programme booklets in hand, for a final round of planning — the kind of quiet work that never makes it to the stage but decides how bright the night shines.
Carrying the legacy of a memorable 9th edition
Expectations are high because the previous edition set such a memorable standard. The 9th Pakistan Excellence Awards, held at the same Mövenpick venue this January, drew some of the most respected names in public life: former Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani and former Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali were among the guests, Chief Justice Agha Rafiq Khan personally presented an award on stage, and Governor Syed Mehdi Shah joined the presenters. Sindh minister Saeed Ghani attended, actors Sakeena Samo and Hiba Bukhari were among those recognised, and Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab applauded the awards for their remarkable continuity, noting the Sindh government’s support and the decision to honour distinguished figures from Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir as well. The celebration later travelled beyond Pakistan’s borders, with a UK chapter ceremony in Manchester where Zeb Kango received a Distinguished Guest of Honour plaque.
Backed by leading names
The tenth edition is supported by the Dadabhoy Group and HMR Waterfront, with Suno FM, Starlinks PR & Events, TNI Communications, LW Legend World, Daily Excellence, Cafeela, Chakwal Poultry Traders, Medicam Group, Growth Securities and United Catering Services among its partners, and EMA Enterprises Events serving as the event planner.
Entry to the ceremony is strictly by official invitation card. The club has opened registration for non-members and additional guests, who contribute a per-person fee towards the evening’s dinner before a card is issued. Readers can follow the latest announcements on the club’s official page.
As the final guest posters continue to appear and the countdown to October 24 begins, one thing is already clear: this is not just another awards night. It is the celebration of a decade-long promise — that excellence in Pakistan, wherever it is found, deserves to be seen, applauded and remembered. Feature Pakistan will update this story as more guests are announced on the club’s official page.