ISLAMABAD: Com­me­morating the International Day of United Nations Pea­­cekeepers 2026, Pakistan on Friday reaffirmed its support for UN peaceke­e­ping missions and vowed its renewed “investment in peace”.

President Asif Ali Zard­ari in a statement highlighted that Pakistan was host to one of the oldest UN peacekeeping missions, the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan.

“The continued presence and relevance of this Mission reaffirm the responsibility of the international community to support a just and lasting resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute,” he said.

President Zardari said that the work of UN peacekeepers “brings stability and hope to communities affected by conflict and displacement”.

This year’s theme, “Invest in Peace”, highlights the importance of “sustained political commitment and financial support” for peace worldwide, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said in his statement.

On this day in 1948, the first UN peacekeeping mission commenced operations in Palestine, the PM said.

Inter-Services Public Relations also paid tribute to the “invaluable contributions and ultimate sacrifices” of the UN Blue Helmets for global peace.

It said that since 1960, over 237,000 Pakistani peacekeepers have served on UN missions, putting the number of those who have lost their lives dur-ing service at 183. Cur­rently, Pakistani peacekeepers are deployed in Congo, South Sudan and the Central African Republic.

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2026