KARACHI: Pakistani peacekeeper Sepoy Amir Aslam, who served the UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, was posthumously awarded the Dag Hammarskjold medal by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres at a ceremony held at the UN headquarters on Friday.

At the ceremony a total of 83 military, police, and civilian personnel from 39 countries who lost their lives while serving in peacekeeping operations last year were honoured.

In a tweet, Director General of ISPR Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar said: “As @UN commemorates #PKDay, services of Sepoy Amir Aslam from Kotli, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Pakistan, acknowledged with posthumous award of Dag Hammarskjold medal by @antonioguterres in virtual ceremony being held @UNHQ today. Soldier was serving in #MONUSCO.”

Meanwhile, in a message issued to mark the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa said that Pakistan’s commitment to global peace under the United Nations Charter remained unflinching.

“Pakistan commemorates spirit of sacrifice of our valiant peacekeepers, who continue to serve humanity in challenging and restive regions of the world,” he said.

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2020