ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has some of the highest numbers of women blue helmets in the world, EU envoy to Pakistan said on Twitter on Sunday, a day after the ‘International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers.’
Pakistan’s contributions to UN peacekeeping span over six decades.
“Did you know that Pakistan has one of the highest percentage of women Peacekeepers in the world ?” Androulla Kaminara, ambassador of the European Union to Pakistan said on Sunday.
On Saturday, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement:
“As one of the top troop contributing countries, Pakistan deeply values the vital role played by ‘blue helmets’ in maintaining security and stability in many conflict-ridden areas around the world.”
It also said Pakistan had led the way in deputing female peacekeepers in “record time.”
“A team of our officers is presently serving as the first all-female group from Pakistan in a UN peacekeeping mission, deployed in the Democratic Republic of Congo,” the FO said.
These officers provide a range of resources to the region including through work as psychologists, stress counsellors, vocational training officers, gender advisers, doctors, nurses, operations officers, information officers and logistics officers.
“Since 1960, over 200,000 of our servicemen have served with honor and valour in 46 UN missions in 26 countries in almost all continents of the world,” the statement read.
Pakistan brings a “unique perspective to peacekeeping,” the FO said, not only as a leading troop contributing country, but also as host to one of the oldest peacekeeping missions in the world.
According to foreign ministry data, 157 of Pakistan’s peacekeepers have been martyred in the line of duty for the cause of international peace and security.
Pakistanis among world’s highest percentage of women UN peacekeepers — EU envoy
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Pakistanis among world’s highest percentage of women UN peacekeepers — EU envoy
- A team is serving in Congo as Pakistan’s first all-female group in a UN peacekeeping mission
- Since 1960, over 200,000 Pakistani servicemen have served in 46 UN missions in 26 countries
Pakistan drops 8,000 MW power procurement, claims $17 billion savings amid IMF-driven reforms
- Government says decision taken “on merit” as it seeks to cut losses, circular debt, ease consumer pressure
- Power minister says losses fell from $2.1 billion to $1.4 billion, circular debt dropped by $2.8 billion
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has abandoned plans to procure around 8,000 megawatts of expensive electricity, the power minister said on Sunday, adding that the decision was taken “purely on merit” and would save about $17 billion.
The power sector has long been a major source of Pakistan’s fiscal stress, driven by surplus generation capacity, costly contracts and mounting circular debt. Reforming electricity pricing, reducing losses and limiting new liabilities are central conditions under an ongoing $7 billion IMF program approved in 2024.
Pakistan has historically contracted more power generation than it consumes, forcing the government to make large capacity payments even for unused electricity. These obligations have contributed to rising tariffs, budgetary pressure and repeated IMF bailouts over the past two decades.
“The government has abandoned the procurement of around 8000 megawatts of expensive electricity purely on merit, which will likely to save 17 billion dollars,” Power Minister Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari said while addressing a news conference in Islamabad, according to state broadcaster Radio Pakistan.
He said the federal government was also absorbing losses incurred by power distribution companies rather than passing them on to consumers.
The minister said the government’s reform drive was already showing results, with losses reduced from Rs586 billion ($2.1 billion) to Rs393 billion ($1.4 billion), while circular debt declined by Rs780 billion ($2.8 billion) last year. Recoveries, he added, had improved by Rs183 billion ($660 million).
Leghari said electricity tariffs had been reduced by 20 percent at the national level over the past two years and expressed confidence that prices would be aligned with international levels within the next 18 months.
Power sector reform has been one of the most politically sensitive elements of Pakistan’s IMF-backed adjustment program, with higher tariffs and tighter enforcement weighing on households and industry. The government says cutting losses, improving recoveries and avoiding costly new capacity are essential to stabilizing public finances and restoring investor confidence.
