General Asim Munir, Pakistan’s army chief, lauded the United Nations forits role in preserving global peace through peacekeeping missions andexpressed Pakistan’s vision for fostering regional harmony marked byeconomic prosperity, as per the Pakistani foreign ministry. Pakistan hasbeen engaged in UN peacekeeping missions since its independence fromBritish rule in 1947 and has lost 172 soldiers in various conflicts.Currently, Pakistan contributes over 4,000 troops to UN internationaloperations. These remarks by Gen Munir were made during a preparatorymeeting co-hosted by Pakistan and Japan on August 30-31 in Islamabad forthe upcoming UN peacekeeping ministerial conference in Ghana scheduled forDecember.
“General Asim Munir attended the closing session of the conference as chiefguest and, during his remarks, he commended the role of the United Nationsin maintaining global peace,” stated Pakistan’s foreign ministry. “[He]further emphasized Pakistan’s aspiration to create a region characterizedby peace, trade, transit, and investment, generating prosperity for all thestates in South, West, and Central Asia.”
The army chief also urged the UN Security Council and the UNsecretary-general to work towards a peaceful resolution to the Jammu andKashmir dispute in line with UN resolutions, according to the statement.The Kashmir region, with a Muslim majority, has been divided betweenPakistan and India since their independence from British rule, with bothcountries claiming the Himalayan territory in its entirety and havingengaged in two of their four wars over it.
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During the two-day meeting, Pakistan’s interim foreign minister, JalilAbbas Gilani, also addressed the gathering, highlighting the country’sefforts to increase the presence of female peacekeepers in its contingents.”Jilani recalled Pakistan’s longstanding commitment to UN peacekeeping,spanning over six decades, as a tangible manifestation of its contributionto the maintenance of international peace and security,” the statementadded. The foreign minister paid tribute to the courageous individuals whosacrificed their lives for the noble cause of peacekeeping.