Pakistan's Ambassador to the United Nations, Masood Khan, on Wednesday praised UN peacekeepers for their service in hot spots around the world, saying they had made valuable contribution in maintaining international peace and security. Speaking at a largely-attended dinner he hosted for the military heads of UN peacekeeping missions operating in various parts of the world, the Pakistani envoy also honoured the sacrifices of those peacekeepers, who paid the ultimate price in serving the cause of peace over the years.
Masood Khan said that Pakistan has a long partnership with the United Nations in the field of peacekeeping. Pakistan, he added, provided peacekeepers to the UN with a sense of national pride. Lieutenant General Maqsood Ahmed of Pakistan, who is the military adviser for the UN's peacekeeping operations, said that the peacekeepers were the backbone and front of the world body.
The military heads of the UN peacekeeping missions around the world are in New York for their annual conference. The dinner was also attended by the senior officials of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, ambassadors from various countries and representatives of troop contributing countries.