August 14, 2003	Thursday	Jumadi-us-Sani 15, 1424

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ISLAMABAD, August 13: The UN secretariat in New York has formally requested Pakistan to contribute a brigade for peacekeeping in Liberia, military sources told Dawn on Wednesday.

A brigade comprises around 3,000 combat troops.

While Pakistan has in principle agreed to send its troops for an UN-sanctioned multinational force in Liberia, a decision on the exact number and timing is yet to be taken by the government, these sources said.

“The matter has been discussed between officials of the Pakistan mission and the UN secretariat in New York and conveyed to the Pakistani authorities here,” a senior official said. “Currently logistics are being worked out.”

A Foreign Office spokesman said Monday that the UN secretariat had requested for Pakistani troops for the multinational and peacekeeping forces which are deployed for missions of longer duration. Specifying the “longer duration” he said it could be up to two to three years.

Pakistan has been the leading contributor to UN peacekeeping operations in conflict zones around the globe. Pakistani forces have been deployed in Somalia, Bosnia, East Timor, Sierra Leone and Haiti. Given their extensive and diverse experience in such operations they are rated as the best peacekeepers.