India on Sunday thanked Afghanistan for conferring the country’s highest civilian honour—the Amir Amanullah Khan award—on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit there.
Expressing gratitude to Afghan government for the prestigious award, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said it was an honour not only for the Prime Minister, but for the whole country.
Prime Minister Modi was conferred the award by President Ashraf Ghani on Saturday during his short visit to Herat province in Afghanistan where he inaugurated a landmark dam built by India at a cost of Rs 1,700 crore.
“It’s a matter of great honour for India that the Indian Prime Minister Modi has been conferred with the highest ever civilian award by the Afghan government. It is an honour not only for India’s Prime Minister Modi but for the whole country for which we are grateful to the government of Afghanistan,” said Jaitley.
Prime Minister Modi is the first Indian and is among a handful of foreign leaders to receive the award.
Prime Minister Modi had also tweeted, “My deepest gratitude to the Government of Afghanistan for conferring the Amir Amanullah Khan Award.”
The award is named after Afgahn national hero Amanullah Khan who championed the cause of Afghanistan’s freedom.
He was the ruler of the Emirate of Afghanistan from 1919-1929. About Prime Minister’s visit to Qatar, Jaitley said it will help India get more investments from the Gulf country.