UN Secy General appreciates Pakistan’s significant contribution to UN Peacekeeping Missions

ISLAMABAD, April 26, 2011 (PPI): UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon has greatly appreciated Pakistan’s significant contribution to UN Peacekeeping Missions across the world, adding that this has brought credibility to the world body.

In his opening remarks speaking as chief guest at the photographic exhibition organized by the Pakistan Mission to the UN in New York on Monday to commemorate 50 years of Pakistan’s participation in peacekeeping, he specifically mentioned Pakistani peacekeepers who had served in some of the most difficult circumstance and demonstrated professionalism that brought laurels for the United Nations and Pakistan.

The Secretary General was accompanied by the Under Secretaries-Generals for the Department of Political Affairs, Department of Peacekeeping Operations, Department of Field Support and a number of other senior UN officials. A large number of Permanent Representatives of UN member states also attended the event. Director General Military Operations, Major General, Javed Iqbal was also present on the occasion.

While remembering the great sacrifices rendered by Pakistan peacekeepers, the Secretary General said, “We know that this great contribution comes at a great cost. Tragically, 122 Pakistani military, police and civilian personnel have lost their lives while proudly serving the United Nations. They are sons and daughters of Pakistan but they are also members of the United Nations family. We mourn their deaths. We remember their lives. And we vow to carry forward their valiant work for peace”.

The Secretary General said, "The United Nations has 100,000 peacekeepers deployed around the world. One in ten is Pakistani. To put this another way, Pakistan is just one of the UN’s 192 Member States à but it is deploying a tenth of our peacekeeping personnel.

"The numbers tell only part of the story. The other part is played out in the lives of people recovering from war. Women who are treated by female members of Pakistan’s medical unit and the children who play football on fields constructed by Pakistani troops as well as civilians who are able to live in peace thanks to the stabilizing presence of these brave Pakistanis,” he said.