NEW YORK: Pakistan Day was celebrated in New York on Thursday, withAmbassador Maleeha Lodhi telling a large number of ambassadors and seniordiplomats attending a glittering reception hosted by her that Pakistan waswell on its way to greater progress under the leadership of Prime MinisterImran Khan.
The reception was held at the Pakistan Mission to the United Nation aheadof March 23 as the UN is closed on that day for the weekend.
“Today, Pakistan is full of hope and confidence,” the Pakistani envoy said,while welcoming heads of diplomatic missions accredited to the UN, seniorUN officials, including three under-secretaries-general, members of thePakistani community and UN corps of correspondents.
Also present was Nigeria’s Ambassador to the UN, Prof. TijjaniMuhammad-Bande, who is expected to be the next president of the UN GeneralAssembly, replacing Ecuador’s María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, in September.
Citing a recent international survey in which Pakistan was among thehappiest nations in the world , the Pakistani envoy said this was a tributeto the resilience and strength of the Pakistani nation.
The new government, Ambassador Lodhi said, had generated unprecedentedhope and expectation of progress and prosperity ahead.
She also said Pakistan will continue to play a leading international rolein upholding multilateralism to which it has always been deeply committed.
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Pakistan’s contribution to the UN in hard power will continue ,with itsrole in Peacekeeping, she said. So will it’s contribution to soft power inthe many norm building exercises underway at the UN and it’s contributionin the realm of ideas.
The Pakistan Mission set up photo displays highlighting Pakistani men andwomen serving in UN peacekeeping.
With over 6,000 troops, Pakistan is among the world’s top troopcontributing countries with peacekeepers deployed in UN Missions inhotspots around the world. Since 1960, over 200,000 Pakistani personnelhave served with professionalism and distinction in 26 countries and 43 UNmissions.
A number of Ambassadors gathered around Ambassador Lodhi to join in forcutting of the cake to mark the colourful Pakistan Day celebrations, withthe soul-stirring patriotic song, “Dil, Dil Pakistan”, playing in thebackground.
