UNITED NATIONS, March 31: Pakistan on Monday called on the UN Security Council to substantially strengthen UN Military Observers Group in India and Pakistan (Unmogip) in order to enable it to assist in the ongoing peace process as well as the protection of human rights in Kashmir.

Addressing the UN Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operation, Pakistan's Ambassador to the United Nations, Mr Munir Akram, said: "As the diplomatic climate in South Asia improves, we feel that Unmogip can play a vital role in confidence-building in the region.

"As in the case of other missions, this is a historic opportunity which the United Nations must not miss," he added. Underscoring that Pakistan's commitment to peacekeeping was undiminished and unwavering, Mr Akram pointed out that at present, Pakistan was the largest contributor of troops to UN peacekeeping operations.

"Historically also, it has remained one of the oldest, largest and most consistent participants in UN peacekeeping operations. We have participated in 28 peacekeeping operations and to date 66 of our soldiers have made the ultimate sacrifice," he noted.

He told the peace-keeping committee that getting the entry strategy right was therefore far more critical than identifying any exit strategy. "Mandates must, in any case, not be terminated prematurely before a durable solution has been found. Haiti is a case in point."

While applauding the great successes of United Nation's peacekeeping, Mr Akram said: "We must not forget tragedies like those of Rwanda, Srebrenica and Somalia also. As we plan for the future we must take all the care not to repeat the mistakes of the past.

"Pakistan has been a leading advocate of triangular cooperation between the troop contributing countries, Security Council and the Secretariat. We have called for mechanisms aimed at enhancing consultations with the Security Council - not only in the drawing up of mandates, but also in their implementation, when considering a change in, or renewal or completion, or when there is a rapid deterioration of the situation on the ground."