Abstract:
United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKOs) are hailed as the foremost retort to
the ever convoluting conflict dynamics around the world. Invariably, the conduct of
UNPKOs depends, almost exclusively, on the foreign policy objectives of United Nations
(UN) member states. Consequently, national interests – foreign policy objectives – are
the mechanism for calculating the benefits of conflict intervention. However, keeping
direct (political and economic) foreign policy objectives in view, the normative structures
of the international society and the internal norms of a state should not be marginalized
while analyzing the participation of states in UNPKOs. In this view, Pakistan‟s
involvement with peacekeeping operations has not only been active but diverse. It has
expanded to encompass; provision of security to the civilians, monitoring areas and
borders which are disputed, observing the peace process and training the military
personnel of the deployed countries, and supporting the ex-combatants in implementing
the peace process to ensure lasting peace. However, the underlying motivations of
Pakistan‟s involvement have not been elucidated, especially gauging the fulfillment of its
foreign policy objectives. The aim of this research is to analyze in-depth the underlying
reasons of Pakistan„s activism in UNPKOs and thematically and theoretically frame the
motivations under political interests, economic incentives and normative considerations
to arrive at conclusive assessments of its participation in UNPKOs. More so, the study
aims to provide recommendations to advance the relationship between Pakistan‟s
involvement and UNPKOs and to regulate the institutional capacity at Pakistan‟s end. In
this vein, the research will utilize secondary data to analyze the UNPKOs in which
Pakistan has been a contributing member and assess the fulfillment of Pakistan‟s foreign
policy objectives from a theoretically grounded approach. Primary data in the shape of
semi-structured interviews from peacekeepers from Pakistan and foreign policy experts
will verify the subjectivity of the findings. It is imperative to evaluate this dimension –
activism in UNPKOs – of Pakistan, despite its limited resources and institutional
impediments. Pakistan‟s unrelenting resolve to put its soldiers in harm‟s way in the cause
of peace needs a thorough and in-depth analysis in paving a strategy laden approach for
its future endeavors.
