UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations on Friday honoured 119 military and civilian peacekeepers from 38 countries who lost their lives while performing their duty last year or early this year, including a Pakistani soldier.

The UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, presided over a special ceremony at which the Dag Hammarskjold Medal was awarded posthumously to the peacekeepers who made the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of peace. The event, held at the UN headquarters in New York, marked the International Day of Peacekeepers.

On the occasion, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Maleeha Lodhi accepted the award on behalf of the family of Naik Muhammad Naeem Raza, who embraced martyrdom while serving with the UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

After the ceremony, Ambassador Lodhi said she was “humbled and honoured” to receive the award on behalf of Mr Raza. “This medal to our hero Naik Muhammad Naeem Raza is recognition by the UN secretary general of the sacrifice, dedication and professionalism of Pakistan’s peacekeepers,” she said.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2019