A solemn ceremony was held at the UN Headquarters in New York to pay tribute to the 77 personnel, including seven Pakistanis, who sacrificed their lives while serving under the UN flag last year.

Addressing the ceremony, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pledged to continue to honour those who sacrificed their lives in service to the world body and to keep supporting their families.

Pakistan's Permanent Representative to United Nations Munir Akram and Military Advisor to the Pakistan Mission in New York, Col. Umar Shafiq Chughtai, also attended the ceremony.

The Pakistani peacekeepers were martyred while serving with the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in Congo when their helicopter crashed on 29 March last year.