Seven Pakistani peacekeepers, who were martyred for global peace and security, were posthumously honoured with the United Nations (UN) medal in New York on Thursday.
According to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who was the chief guest on the occasion, paid rich tribute to the Pakistanis who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.
Pakistan stands as one of the largest troop-contributing countries for UN peacekeeping missions.
So far 156 Pakistani blue helmets have embraced martyrdom while serving under the UN umbrella.
The seven Pakistani peacekeepers honoured include Qaiser Abbas, Yasir Abbas, Muhammad Ishtiaq Abbasi, Zishan Ahmed, Hazrat Bilal, Abdul Ghafoor, and Attaur Rehman.
On March 23, UN lauded the contributions made by Pakistan’s peacekeepers towards global peace and assistance in helping the most vulnerable regions, according to the media wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces.
DG ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor thanked UN for acknowledging Pakistan’s contribution to global peace since 1960.
He said that the country had sacrificed 156 lives under the UN flag.
Pakistani peacekeepers first joined the UN on September 30, 1947, but the first direct support for UN peacekeeping operations began in 1960 when Pakistan Army deployed its first-ever contingent in a UN operation in Congo.