ISLAMABAD, June 27. /Dunyo IA/.  Traditional award ceremony for the winners of the XX International Contest for the “Oltin Qalam” (Golden Pencil) National Journalism Award was held in Tashkent, timed to coincide with the Day of Press and Mass Media Workers, reports Dunyo IA correspondent.

Following the evaluation of the contest, Muhammad Abbas Khan, the accredited correspondent of the Pakistani newspaper “Daily Ittehad” in Uzbekistan, secured second place in the category “For the Best Material by a Foreign Journalist about Uzbekistan.

Publication notes that the journalist has dedicated many years to providing extensive coverage of the comprehensive structural reforms in Uzbekistan, the country's landmark international initiatives, and the progressive development of Uzbekistan - Pakistan relations. Furthermore, in 2025, he authored and published a comprehensive book in the Urdu language titled “Uzbekistan: The third renaissance – a concept of the future”, which is deeply dedicated to the strategic transformations and socio-economic development of the nation.

Over the course of many years, Muhammad Abbas Khan has been objectively and comprehensively conveying to the Pakistani public the democratic, political and socio-economic reforms being implemented in Uzbekistan. His analytical articles and interviews make a worthy contribution to strengthening Uzbekistan’s prestige on the international arena, fostering an objective global perception of our nation, and further advancing the friendly relations between Uzbekistan and Pakistan.