No PR236/2012-ISPR Dated: October 23, 2012
Rawalpindi - October 23, 2012:
24 October will be celebrated as United Nations (UN) Day. Let’s not forget the role and sacrifices of Pakistan Army’s in Peacekeeping United Nations Missions all over the world.
Pakistan’s commitment with UN for promoting international peace and prosperity stems from the vision of its Founding Father, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Pakistan’s journey with UN Peacekeeping operations began in 1960 when it deployed its first ever contingent in United Nations Operations in Congo (ONUC). Over the past 50 years, Pakistan has been the most significant and consistent contributor to the UN Peacekeeping around the World. Pakistani peacekeepers have left no stone unturned in the noble cause of helping humanity, building peace and bringing stability across the regions, under the banner of United Nations.
President Soekarno of Indonesia paid tribute to Pakistani troops deployed in West Irian in these words
“It was because of Pakistani troops that Indonesia and Pakistan came close together, they were Pakistan’s best ambassadors”.
Pakistan’s contribution to UN Peacekeeping has been as widely ranged as the varied cultural, geographical, political, and security conditions in which its troops had to operate.
Pakistan has contributed 1,44,711 troops till to-date in 41 Missions spread over 23 countries in almost all continents of the World. Pakistan has remained one of the largest Troops Contributing Countries consistently for many years.
Presently, Pakistan is contributing 9149 all ranks (9.46% of total UN deployment) deployed in 7 different UN Missions. In pursuance of it’s commitment to the noble cause of international peace and tranquility, 131 Pakistani troops (10.24% of total UN fatalities) including 21 Officers have given the ultimate sacrifice in different UN Missions, almost an equal number have been wounded.
Presently, Pakistani peacekeepers are deployed in Congo, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Darfur, Western Sahara, East Timor and Haiti; helping human cause, bringing stability and promoting peace thus building a secure and peaceful world.
The performance of Pakistani peacekeepers has been acknowledged worldwide by numerous world leaders and the UN leadership. The undisputed high professional standing enjoyed by Pakistani peacekeepers has given them the honour of being one of the most desired body of troops in each UN Peacekeeping Mission. Lakhdar Brahimi, Special Representative of the Secretary General for Haitai had remarked
“Yours was the most difficult area with a history of militant activities and local feuds. The others, before you had probably 4 or 5 times more troops and had difficulty controlling the situation. The PAKBAT’s performance was consistently impeccable and earned admiration of everyone, Haitian and foreigners alike”.
Pakistan’s contribution to this shared vision of global peace is manifested in shape of the best that Pakistan Military has to offer in terms of discipline and training. The Pakistani contingent for the UN Assistance Mission in Sierra Leone (1999-2005) has been cited by the UN Peacekeeping Headquarters as a “Role Model for all UN Missions”.
Our troops deployed in UN missions are continuously engaged in tasks like protection of civilians, providing health care and medical facilities, building roads and infrastructure, assisting in conduct of elections and providing logistics and aviation support. Pakistani contingents played a significant role in normalizing the war torn regions and countries by maintaining law and order and overseeing successful transition of Governments through supervision of elections in Cambodia, East Timor, Haiti, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Sudan, Congo etc.
Pakistani engineering troops not only undertook and completed cumbersome task of developing and reconstructing thousands of kilometers of communication infrastructure in Cambodia, Sudan, Darfur, Ivory Coast, Liberia etc, but also actively participated in demining operations in different missions like Kuwait, eastern Slovenia, etc.
While paying tribute to Pakistani Troops, Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the UN thus acknowledged:
“Your soldiers have made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of the world peace and the United Nations. I salute this record of global idealism because I believe it reflects a determination among the Pakistani people to serve the world”.