ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday warned that United Nations peacekeeping efforts were at a crossroads, strained by widening geopolitical rifts and financial pressures, even as they remain one of the most cost-effective means of maintaining international stability and require urgent multilateral support.
The remarks were made by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar during the closing session of a high-level peacekeeping preparatory meeting co-hosted by Pakistan and the Republic of Korea in Islamabad.
UN peacekeeping, a flagship effort to help countries navigate the path from conflict to peace, deploys over 70,000 personnel worldwide. Pakistan has long been one of its top troop contributors, with over 235,000 personnel having served in 48 missions over the past six decades.
“The threat to multilateralism, rising unilateralism and financial pressures are straining the sustainability and effectiveness of UN peacekeeping operations, underscoring the urgent need to revitalize multilateral cooperation and adapting peacekeeping to a rapidly evolving global landscape,” Dar said.
“The Security Council must provide unified and consistent support to all peace operations,” he added. “Mandates must be clear, focused and grounded in field realities.”
Dar also called for greater inclusion of troop-contributing countries in mission design, better resourcing aligned with mandates, accountability for attacks on peacekeepers and stronger regional partnerships, including with the African Union and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
Over the two-day conference, participants explored the use of advanced technologies, such as drones, counter-improvised explosive device (IED) systems and simulation-based training, to enhance the safety and performance of peacekeepers.
Dar said credible deterrence and accountability were necessary to protect personnel in increasingly complex and hostile environments.
He also paid tribute to the 4,423 peacekeepers from over 130 countries who have lost their lives in the line of duty, including 181 Pakistanis.
Dar reiterated Pakistan’s support for the UN Charter and the need for peacekeeping to be part of a broader political strategy that addresses the root causes of conflict.
He emphasized that without inclusive political solutions, peacekeeping can only offer temporary relief.

ISLAMABAD: Hungary’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó is scheduled to arrive in Pakistan today, Thursday, with a high-level delegation to explore business opportunities in the country, Pakistan’s foreign office said. 

Szijjártó is touring the country Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar’s invitation, the foreign office said, adding that the two will hold delegation-level talks after holding one-on-one discussions. 

“Deepening collaboration in economic, trade, energy and investment sectors is the focus of the two governments,” the foreign office said on Wednesday. 

It said various memoranda of understanding (MoUs) and an agreement on cooperation in the fields of culture (2025-2027), archaeology and cultural heritage, and for abolition of visas for holders of diplomatic passports will be signed between the two countries on the occasion. 

“This would be FM Szijjártó’s second visit to Pakistan, aimed at lending positive impetus to enhanced bilateral cooperation and mutually rewarding economic partnership,” the statement said. 

Pakistan enjoys cordial relations with Hungary and this year Islamabad will mark 60 years of the establishment of its diplomatic relations with the country. The two countries enjoy cooperation in energy, with Hungarian oil and gas company MOL Group actively investing in Pakistan’s oil and gas exploration sector since the early 2000s.

MOL Pakistan has invested heavily in exploration and production, especially in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. 

Pakistan has pursued agreements in trade, energy, tourism, livestock, mining and minerals and other priority sectors with regional allies and Gulf countries in recent months. Islamabad hopes to attract foreign investment in its priority sectors to achieve sustainable growth. 

Pakistan formed the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) in June 2023 to attract international investment in these sectors, mainly from Gulf countries. The SIFC says it aims to fast-track decisions related to investments.