March 7, 2003	Friday	Muharram 3, 1424

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UNITED NATIONS, March 6: Pakistan on Wednesday said that a just and equitable resolution of the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the UN Security Council’s resolutions was essential for the credibility of United Nations’ commitment to maintaining international peace and security.

Addressing the UN special committee on peacekeeping operations, the permanent representative of Pakistan to the UN, Munir Akram, urged the international community to extend a helping hand in establishing lasting peace in South Asia by enabling the people of Kashmir to exercise their right to self-determination as pledged to them by the Security Councvil.

The ambassador observed that there were 45 personnel of the UN Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan. “Let us not wait until we need 45,000.”

Asserting that the root cause of tensions in South Asia was the Kashmir dispute, Mr Akram noted that “unfortunately, despite the continued presence of the United Nations mission, peace in South Asia remains fragile”.

However, he said, UNMOGIP continued to serve the purpose of peacekeeping and peace-building.

Reiterating that Pakistan was committed to the cause of peace, he pointed out that “at present Pakistan is the largest contributor of troops to UN peacekeeping operations”.

Historically, he said, Pakistan had remained one of the oldest, largest, and most consistent participants in the UN peacekeeping operations. “Indeed, along with others, we have played a significant part in forging UN peacekeeping as an instrument of international peace. We want to see it serve, and serve better, the collective purposes for which it was created, in accordance with the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations.”

Mr Akram told the UN committee that “Pakistan fully supports efforts in enhancing and improving training for UN peacekeeping operations.”