What is Pakistan getting into with Trump’s Gaza ‘Board of Peace’?

KARACHI:

Pakistan’s decision to join the US-led “Board of Peace” linked to Gaza has triggered sharp criticism from opposition parties and religious groups, who say the government signed up without taking parliament, or the public, into confidence.

The Foreign Office said Pakistan accepted an invitation from US President Donald Trump to join the board, describing it as part of efforts to support a Gaza peace plan under a UN Security Council framework, and reaffirming Islamabad’s stance on a ceasefire, humanitarian relief, reconstruction, and a path to an independent Palestinian state.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed the document joining the board in Davos during the World Economic Forum.

But the move has become politically contentious because Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also reported to have accepted an invitation to join the same forum.

What is the Board?

The “Board of Peace” is a transitional governing administration established to oversee Gaza and implement the “Comprehensive Plan” intended to end the conflict in the region. Chaired by Donald Trump for life, the organisation holds centralised transitional legislative, executive, and judicial authority, with the mandate of ensuring Gaza becomes a “deradicalised and demilitarised zone” that “poses no threat to its neighbours”, according to the document.

According to the document, membership in the Board of Peace is free, and “contributions are voluntary.”

The Board’s governance structure includes an Executive Board, which is authorised to issue resolutions, establish subcommittees, and make delegations necessary to carry out the “Comprehensive Plan.” The Executive Board can “enact new law, or modify or repeal” prior civil and criminal laws in Gaza, subject to the Chairman’s approval, direction and control.

It also includes a High Representative for Gaza, who has the power to issue immediate orders and directives, manage reconstruction, and oversee the administration of justice and humanitarian aid.

A “vetted, technocratic, apolitical committee of competent and qualified Palestinians” will be on the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), tasked with providing civil service and administration, though it remains under the direct supervision of the High Representative. While presented as a local governing body, the NCAG’s role is limited to implementation, with real authority resting with the Board of Peace and the High Representative.

The ISF will initially be led by the United States to carry out its mission under the plan, alongside provisions for humanitarian zones and controlled civilian-protection corridors patrolled by the force. The ISF will be under the guidance of Force Commander (FC) Major General Jasper Jeffer from the United States, who has “operational authority” over the ISF.

The Chairman has the authority to approve and replace the FC at will.

The document includes a clause stating “no one will be forced to leave Gaza” and that those who leave would be free to return. The document adds that resources, aid and political participation in Gaza are contingent on compliance with the “Comprehensive Plan.”

The three-tiered governance structure allows Trump to be the sole power signing resolutions into force, approving military movements for the International Stabilisation Force (ISF), and designating individuals to key positions within the apparatus.

Pakistan does not have a representative on the Gaza Executive Board.

For the full document, see here: 

‘Peace from killers is self-deception’

In a National Assembly debate, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman condemned the decision and questioned how Pakistan could join a forum that included Netanyahu.

Read: Govt sells Gaza board entry as diplomacy

“The same forces that created the problem are now sitting in judgment,” he said. “Expecting peace from Trump was tantamount to living in a fool’s paradise.”

Fazlur Rehman also pointed out that the board’s reported focus was a concern, saying that disarming Hamas would mean dismantling Palestinian resistance. He urged parliament to reject the board in its current form and called for a formal resolution against it.

The JUI-F chief said associating hopes of peace and a better future for Palestinians with a Trump-led board would amount to “deceiving ourselves”, while citing Palestinian suffering and casualties in Gaza.

Jamaat-e-Islami’s emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman also rejected Pakistan’s participation, saying such a major foreign policy decision was taken without consultation with parliament, the cabinet or the public.

Read more: JI rejects Pakistan’s role in Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’

He described the initiative as “a new form of colonialism” and said Pakistan’s armed forces should not be sent to Gaza “under any circumstances”.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders demanded that the terms and conditions of participation be made public and that parliament be taken into confidence, with PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan questioning whether Pakistan could be expected to play any role related to Hamas.

PTI also issued a formal rejection of the decision, arguing that moves of such international significance should be made transparently and through broad political consultation.

Additionally, in an NDTV interview with the Israeli ambassador to India, when ambassador Reuven Azar was asked whether he would be okay with Pakistan’s involvement in the stabilisation force, Reuven said no.

Engagement avoids isolation

Despite Pakistan’s joining the “Board of Peace” and the concerns of certain political parties, government ministers have defended the decision as a diplomatic opening rather than a shift in principle.

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said Pakistan’s participation was limited to efforts aimed at peace in Palestine and insisted Islamabad had not recognised Israel. He has also argued that Pakistan’s involvement alongside other Muslim countries strengthened peace efforts linked to Gaza.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said Pakistan should participate so it is not “irrelevant” in decisions that may follow, adding that presence would allow Islamabad to raise its voice for Palestinians.

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has also dismissed reports that Pakistan will join the Stabilisation Force to disarm Hamas.