UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon paid tributes at a solemn memorial service on Wednesday to 210 men and women of the United Nations, including three Pakistani nationals, who lost their lives in the line of duty between January 1, 2015, and June 30, 2016.
“The staff we lost never intended to be heroes. But, in striving to do their best for others, they came to represent the best in us all. They are the best heroes,” he told the annual memorial service that began five years ago to honour those who have lost their lives while serving the world body.
The fallen Pakistanis were: Shabnam Khan of the United Nations Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Meherren Abbas of the World Food Programme (WFP) and Havilar Abdul Majeed Khan of the United Nations Organisation Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).
“Like all of you, I have been deeply affected by the losses of friends and colleagues on the job. In many ways, that feeling never goes away,” the secretary-general said in remarks before a distinguished gathering of diplomats, including Pakistan UN Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi, UN officials and families of the departed men and women.
“The men and women we recognise today came from all corners of the world. They served in difficult and dangerous conditions. There are many flags in the world. But only one represents all of humanity equally. Others have tried to turn it into a target. But that flag remains a beacon,” he declared.
“Those who destroy may think that bombs or bullets are the most powerful force. They are wrong, simply wrong.” Ban reasserted the organisation’s conviction that working together can heal communities and make the world a better place.
