Renowned Pakistani actor Fazila Qazi has criticised the process of the distribution of Presidential Awards mentioning that they are often given based on personal connections rather than merit. Qazi made these remarks during an interview on a private news channel with her husband, actor Qaiser Nizamani. In the interview, she revealed that many deserving artists are ignored when it comes to national recognition as merit is not a priority. She said in a sarcastic manner that she is extremely grateful that her husband received the Presidential Award at a time when awards were given purely based on an artist’s work and not connections. She also disclosed that files are prepared for each artist who is considered for the award, but her document has not been considered for five years.