The United Nations honored 57 fallen peacekeepers from 32 countries, including two Pakistani soldiers, during a ceremony marking the International Day of UN Peacekeepers.
Sepoy Muhammad Tariq and Havaldar Ahsanullah Khan, who served with the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), were posthumously awarded the Dag Hammarskjöld Medal. They sacrificed their lives in 2023 while serving under the UN flag.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres led the tribute, acknowledging peacekeepers’ bravery amid growing global divisions, terrorism, disinformation, and climate-related threats. Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmed, and Military Advisor Colonel Omar Shafiq attended the ceremony, receiving the medals on behalf of the fallen heroes.
The International Day of UN Peacekeepers, established in 2002, honors personnel who have died in peacekeeping missions worldwide. Pakistan remains one of the largest contributors to UN peacekeeping efforts.
