ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani soldier died earlier this week while being on a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (CAR), the Pakistani military said on Thursday.
Pakistan is a significant contributor of troops to the UN peacekeeping mission. Pakistani peacekeepers have served on 46 peacekeeping missions in almost all continents of the world in over last six decades, according to the Pakistani foreign ministry.
Without specifying the date of the soldier’s death, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistani military’s media wing, said he was laid to rest on Wednesday night.
“Havaldar Muhammad Shafiq of Pakistan Army embraced Shahadat (martyrdom) while serving in United Nations Mission in Central African Republic (CAR),” it said in a statement.
“Funeral prayer of the soldier was offered at his native town in Mian Channu, Khanewal. Shaheed soldier was buried with full military honors.”
Shafiq had joined the UN mission in February 2021 and had been part of the Pakistani contingent “ensuring protection of civilians in CAR and facilitating delivery of humanitarian assistance,” the ISPR said.
Since 1960, 162 Pakistani peacekeepers have died for the cause of international peace and security, it added.
Islamabad has some of the highest numbers of women blue helmets in the world too.
Pakistani peacekeeper dies on UN mission in Central African Republic
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Pakistani peacekeeper dies on UN mission in Central African Republic
- Since 1960, 162 Pakistani soldiers have died while ensuring global peace and security
- Islamabad has offered one of the highest numbers of women blue helmets in world too
ADB, Pakistan sign over $300 million agreements to undertake climate resilience initiatives
- Pakistan ranks among nations most vulnerable to climate change and has seen erratic changes in weather patterns
- The projects in Sindh and Punjab will restore nature-based coastal defenses and enhance agricultural productivity
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani government and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed more than $300 million agreements to undertake two major climate resilience initiatives, Pakistan’s Press Information Department (PID) said on Tuesday.
The projects include the Sindh Coastal Resilience Sector Project (SCRP), valued at Rs50.5 billion ($180.5 million), and the Punjab Climate-Resilient and Low-Carbon Agriculture Mechanization Project (PCRLCAMP), totaling Rs34.7 billion ($124 million).
Pakistan ranks among nations most vulnerable to climate change and has seen erratic changes in its weather patterns. In 2022, monsoon floods killed over 1,700 people, displaced another 33 million and caused over $30 billion losses, while another 1,037 people were killed in floods this year.
The South Asian country is ramping up climate resilience efforts, with support from the ADB and World Bank, and investing in climate-resilient infrastructure, particularly in vulnerable areas.
“Both sides expressed their commitment to effectively utilize the financing for successful and timely completion of the two initiatives,” the PID said in a statement.
The Sindh Coastal Resilience Project (SCRP) will promote integrated water resources and flood risk management, restore nature-based coastal defenses, and strengthen institutional and community capacity for strategic action planning, directly benefiting over 3.8 million people in Thatta, Sujawal, and Badin districts, according to ADB.
The Punjab project will enhance agricultural productivity and climate resilience across 30 districts, improving small farmers’ access to climate-smart machinery, introducing circular agriculture practices to reduce residue burning, establishing testing and training facilities, and empowering 15,000 women through skills development and livelihood diversification.
Earlier this month, the ADB also approved $381 million in financing for Pakistan’s Punjab province to modernize agriculture and strengthen education and health services, including concessional loans and grants for farm mechanization, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, and nursing sector reforms.
