ISLAMABAD – President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday awarded the Nishan-i-Imtiaz (Military) to General Aamer Raza, Commander of the National Strategic Command, at a ceremony held at Aiwan-i-Sadr in Islamabad. President Zardari had approved the conferment of the prestigious military award on Gen Raza on July 31. Gen Raza was promoted to the rank of four-star general in July and appointed Commander of the National Strategic Command on the prime minister’s recommendation. Before becoming a four-star general, he served as Chief of General Staff, one of the army’s key operational positions. Despite his new strategic command role, Gen Raza has not previously served in the Strategic Plans Division, Army Strategic Forces Command or the country’s strategic missile programme.