RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Armed Forces which have major contributors to peacekeeping efforts, have extended best wishes to the United Nations on its 75th anniversary.
“Pakistan has contributed over 200,000 troops in 46 United Nations Peace Missions in 28 countries,” the ISPR said on Saturday, adding that 158 Pakistani peacekeepers sacrificed their lives for global peace.
It may be pointed out here that Pakistani soldiers have also been posthumously awarded UN medals for sacrificing their lives in performance of duties with peacekeeping missions.
The incumbent UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and his predecessors Ban Ki-moon and Kofi Annan have also acknowledged services of Pakistani forces for keeping peace around the world.
“Pakistan has been one of the most consistent and reliable contributors to peace efforts around the world,” Antonio Guterrers said.
Kofi Annan said that Pakistani soldiers have the ultimate sacrifice in service of the world peace and the United Nations. “I salute this record of global idealism because I feel it reflects a determination among the Pakistani people to serve the world,” he had said.
Ban Ki-moon once expressed his gratitude to Pakistan and its people for what they have been doing for international peace and security. “I sense great confidence and hope today. But what the feeling what overwhelms me is gratitude as the UN secretary general and gratitude as a global citizen for what Pakistan and her people have been doing for international peace and security,” the ex-UN secretary general had said.
He had pointed out that more than 100 countries contribute troops and police for the United Nations peacekeeping missions.
“Pakistan is number one,” Ban Ki-moon had acknowledged.
Ban had further recognised that it was impossible to speak about the history of the United Nations peacekeeping without such contributions of Pakistan. “I thank you very much,” he had said.