Pakistan proud of its contribution to UN peacekeeping: minister

ISLAMABAD, May 31 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan is proud of its long-standing association and contribution to the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations, Pakistan's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar said Wednesday.

The minister made the remarks in an event marking the 75th anniversary of UN peacekeeping, organized in collaboration with the UN, in the Pakistani Foreign Ministry, the ministry said in a statement.

Khar paid tribute to the services and sacrifices rendered by UN peacekeepers for advancing the shared goals of peace all over the world and reaffirmed Pakistan's strong commitment to and support for the UN peacekeeping and peacebuilding architecture.

"Today we are celebrating the more than 80,000 brave peacekeepers - women and men - who are carrying out the extremely important task of creating peace around the world," said Knut Ostby, Resident Representative in Pakistan of the United Nations Development Programme, who spoke on behalf of the United Nations.

Pakistan is among the largest troop-contributing countries to UN peacekeeping with nearly 4,334 military and police personnel currently serving in nine locations around the world, said the ministry.

The event paid homage to the more than 200,000 Pakistani personnel who have served in 46 UN Missions since 1960, including 171 who lost their lives, according to the ministry.