Two Pakistani peacekeepers who lost their lives while serving under the United Nations flag will be honoured posthumously at a ceremony on Thursday at the UN headquarters in New York. The event will mark the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, observed each year on May 29.
Sepoy Muhammad Tarique and Havildar Ahsan Ullah Khan, who served with the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), will be awarded the prestigious Dag Hammarskjöld Medal in recognition of their service and sacrifice.
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UN Secretary-General António Guterres is expected to lay a wreath in memory of over 4,400 peacekeepers who have died since UN peacekeeping operations began in 1948. During a formal ceremony in the Trusteeship Council Chamber, medals will be presented to 57 personnel—including military, police, and civilians—who died while serving in peacekeeping missions over the past year.
Pakistan remains among the top contributors to UN peacekeeping efforts, currently ranked fifth worldwide, with more than 2,800 personnel deployed across various missions.
Since its inception in 1948, UN peacekeeping has grown into a vital tool for global stability. Currently, around 68,000 personnel from 119 countries are serving in 11 active missions worldwide.