In accordance with section 15 of the Burial and Cremation Act 1964 (“Act”), I hereby give the following notice.

Notice

1. I declare service:

• in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, as defined, from 25 April 1988 up to and including 31 December 1991, to be operational service for the purposes of the Act.
  Islamic Republic of Pakistan – Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign country in south-east Asia. The country is bordered along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south. Moving north away from the Gulf of Oman, common borders with Iran to the west and Afghanistan in the north-west form Pakistan’s western border. A common border with China, in the far north-east denotes Pakistan’s northern extent. The northern border extends east until it meets the border with India. Pakistan’s eastern extent then follows this common border with India, in a southerly direction, where upon it returns to its southern limit at the Arabian Sea.

2. I declare that the declaration for service in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan will supersede the declaration made on 4 March 2010 by the Honourable Judith Collins, Minister of Veterans’ Affairs, for service with the United Nations Mine Clearing Training Team (UNMCTT) in Pakistan and Afghanistan from 1 April 1989 to 31 December 1991.

3. This entitles any member of the New Zealand Defence Force covered by this declaration (and their spouse, civil union partner or de facto partner) to have their remains buried in the part of any cemetery set aside by a local authority for the burial of:

• members of Her Majesty’s Forces that have undertaken operational service; and
• the spouses, civil union partners, and de facto partners of members of Her Majesty’s Forces that have undertaken operational service.

4. Members of other Commonwealth Forces who have undertaken the same operational service and their spouses, civil union partners, and de facto partners may also be interred.

5. As required by the Act, consultation occurred prior to the making of this declaration.

Dated this 9th day of December 2021.

Hon MEKA WHAITIRI, Minister for Veterans.