By IRNA,
Islamabad : Pakistan will contribute troops in the United Nations Darfur peacekeepers, the army said Thursday.
“The United Nations has also approached Pakistan for contribution in a new peacekeeping mission in Darfur and we would actively participate in it,” army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said.
“Pakistan is the largest and consistent contributor to various U.N peacekeeping operations for maintenance of peace and security in the world,” Ababs told a function at the UN information center in connection with the 60th anniversary and International day of peacekeepers in Islamabad.
Briefing the audience about the Pakistani contributions to the peacekeeping missions, Major General Athar Abbas said over ten thousand and seven hundred troops are presently serving in various conflict zones including Liberia, Ivory Coast, Sudan, Haiti, Kosovo and East Timor.
He said about ninety eight soldiers have died and ninety three wounded while serving under the flag of United Nations.
“Pakistan’s contributions in the peacekeeping operations reflect the country’s commitment to upholding the U.N. charter for peace and tranquility across the globe,” he said.
Meanwhile Chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Defence Senator Nisar A Memon said Pakistan has an outstanding track record in U.N. peacekeeping and professionalism and dedication of our troops is widely acknowledged.
He said Pakistan is not only one of the major contributors of peacekeeping troops, it also hosts one of the oldest U.N. peacekeeping Missions i.e. United Nations Military Observer group in India and Pakistan for monitoring the ceasefire along the line of control in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Senator said Pakistan attaches great importance to both the symbolic value and substantive contribution of UNMOGIP.
Representative of U.N. peacekeeping mission Paneerselvam Perambalam briefed the audience about the ongoing peacekeeping missions across the world.
He lauded role of Pakistani troops in the peacekeeping operations.