News Desk |
Pakistan’s Permanent Ambassador to United Nations, Maleeha Lodhi, hosted a photo exhibition to highlight the services of Pakistan’s peacekeeping missions. The exhibition paid tribute to peacekeepers and their efforts to global peace and security.
Maleeha Lodhi inaugurated a week-long exhibition, accompanied by Under Secretary-General (USG) for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix and the Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Congo (where Pakistani troops were also deployed) at the inauguration ceremony.
The exposition displayed Pakistan’s stellar performances at the peacekeeping missions since 1960. “Over almost six decades, Pakistan has contributed over 200,000 troops to 46 UN peacekeeping missions,” stated Maleeha Lodhi.
United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, awarded Naek Muhammad Naeem Raza who was serving in the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in Congo.
156 Pakistani Peacekeepers, including 24 officers and female peacekeepers have sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. “Like others who lost their lives in this cause, they will forever be remembered,” the Pakistani envoy said.
Lodhi lauded the efforts of Pakistani female peacekeepers for their services to international peace. She said that women peacekeepers were serving alongside their male counterparts in many conflict zones with exemplary dedication and professionalism.
She stated that every peacekeeper in the mission has an important role to play where all must work together to produce necessary synergies. “Every stakeholder in peacekeeping has an important role to play,” she added. Last month, the United Nations honored Pakistani peacekeeper in posthumously.
Read more: Pakistani military women stand tall at United Nations
United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, awarded Naek Muhammad Naeem Raza who was serving in the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in Congo. He embraced martyrdom when a Pakistani peacekeeping convoy was attacked by a group of armed rebels near Lulimba, 96-Km South-West of Baraka, South Kivu Province.
Pakistan is the sixth largest contributor of the uniformed personnel to United Nations Peacekeeping Missions. Currently, 5200 military and police personnel are serving the UN peace mission in the Central African Republic, Congo, Somalia, Mali, Sudan, South Sudan, Cyprus, and Western Sahara.