ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif praised Pakistani soldiers on Saturday for their exceptional contributions to UN Peacekeeping missions, including sacrificing their lives in the most challenging and perilous conflict zones.
In a tweet, the Prime Minister expressed pride in Pakistan’s status as one of the largest contributors to peace missions under the United Nations umbrella, as eight Pakistani peacekeepers were honored posthumously on the occasion of the UN Peacekeeping Mission’s 75th anniversary. He lauded the peacekeepers for their unparalleled dedication to duty.
As the eight Pakistani peacekeepers were honoured posthumously on the completion of 75 years of the UN Peacekeeping Mission, Pakistan is proud of being one of the largest contributors to the peace missions under the United Nations umbrella. Pakistani soldiers have rendered…
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) May 27, 2023
UN Honours Eight Pakistani Peacekeepers
During a solemn ceremony held on May 25, the United Nations recognized and paid tribute to 103 military, police, and civilian personnel from around the world, including eight Pakistani peacekeepers, who lost their lives while serving under the United Nations flag last year. The Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, presided over the special ceremony, which commemorated the 75th anniversary of UN peacekeeping.
The Dag Hammarskjold Medal, awarded posthumously to peacekeepers who made the sacrifice for the cause of peace in the preceding year, was presented during the ceremony. Pakistan’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Aamir Khan, accepted the awards on behalf of the families of the fallen Pakistani peacekeepers.
The six martyred peacekeepers—Havildar Muhammad Ismail, Major Faizan Ali, Lt. Col Asif Ali Awan, Naib Subedar Sami Ullah Khan, Major Muhammad Saad Nomani, and Lance Havildar Muhammad Jamil Khan—served with the MONUSCO and tragically lost their lives in a helicopter crash on March 29, 2022.
Havildar Babar Siddique, also serving in MONUSCO, and Corporal Rana Muhammad Tahir Islam, working with the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), were also honored for their sacrifice.
It is noteworthy that Pakistan currently holds the position of the fifth-largest contributor to UN peacekeeping efforts, with nearly 4,200 military and police personnel deployed in Abyei, the Central African Republic, Cyprus, South Sudan, Mali, Western Sahara, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
