Pakistan accepts Trump’s invitation to join ‘Board of Peace’: FO

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan has accepted United States President Donald Trump’s invitation to join his Board of Peace, a new international mechanism aimed at supporting the implementation of the Gaza Peace Plan, the Foreign Office (FO) announced on Wednesday.

Other countries that have accepted the invitation to join the board include Indonesia, Israel, Turkiye, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. The proposed board would be chaired for life by Trump and would initially focus on the Gaza conflict before expanding its remit to other wars. Member countries would be required to pay a $1 billion fee to secure permanent membership.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the decision was taken following an invitation extended to PM Shehbaz by Trump. The Board of Peace has been constituted under the framework of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803, which calls for concrete steps to address the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

The FO said Pakistan’s participation reflects its longstanding commitment to international peace and security, as well as its consistent support for the Palestinian cause.

“Pakistan hopes that with the creation of this framework, concrete steps will be taken towards the implementation of a permanent ceasefire, further scaling up of humanitarian aid for the Palestinians, as well as reconstruction of Gaza,” the statement said.

The government underscored that an immediate and durable ceasefire remained critical to alleviating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where months of conflict have left thousands dead and displaced large segments of the population. Islamabad also stressed the urgent need for unhindered humanitarian access to ensure the delivery of food, medicine and essential supplies to civilians.

Beyond the immediate humanitarian dimension, Pakistan reiterated its principled position on the Palestinian issue, emphasising that lasting peace in the Middle East could not be achieved without addressing the root political causes of the conflict.

The FO said Pakistan hoped the efforts under the Board of Peace would lead to the realisation of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination through a “credible, time-bound political process”, consistent with international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.

Such a process, the statement added, must culminate in the establishment of an independent, sovereign and contiguous State of Palestine based on the pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.

Read More: Trump invites more global leaders to join Gaza ‘Board of Peace

Pakistan has historically supported a two-state solution and has repeatedly called on the international community to move beyond crisis management towards a comprehensive political settlement of the Palestinian question.

Diplomatic sources said Pakistan’s inclusion in the Board of Peace was likely to enhance the body’s legitimacy, particularly among Muslim-majority countries, and could help bridge gaps between different international stakeholders involved in the Gaza peace efforts.

The statement did not provide details about the composition of the Board of Peace or its operational modalities, but officials indicated that the forum was expected to play a facilitative role in coordinating ceasefire arrangements, humanitarian assistance and post-conflict reconstruction, while supporting a broader political track under UN auspices.

Pakistan also conveyed its readiness to play a constructive role within the Board of Peace to help end the suffering of the Palestinian people.

“Pakistan looks forward to continue playing a constructive role as part of the Board of Peace for the achievement of these goals as well as to end the suffering of our Palestinian brothers and sisters,” the FO said. The announcement was shared by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar as well.

Islamabad has been vocal in international forums, including the UN General Assembly and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, about the need to protect Palestinian civilians and uphold international humanitarian law. Pakistani leaders have repeatedly condemned attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, while calling for accountability and adherence to UN resolutions.

Observers say Pakistan’s decision to formally join the Board of Peace signals its intent to remain diplomatically engaged on Gaza at a time when global efforts are underway to prevent further escalation and to lay the groundwork for a political settlement.

The announcement comes just a day before a formal signing cereminy to establish Board of Peace in Davos on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Later in the day, the foreign ministers of Pakistan, UAE, Turkiye, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Qatar and Jordan issued a joint statement welcoming Trump’s invitation to join the board.

“The ministers announce their countries’ shared decision to join the Board of Peace. Each country will sign the joining documents according to its respective relevant legal and other necessary procedures, including Egypt, Pakistan, and the UAE, that have already announced to join.

“The ministers reiterate their countries’ support for the peace efforts led by President Trump, and reaffirm their countries’ commitment to supporting the implementation of the mission of the Board of Peace as a transitional administration.”

Other countries begin accepting invitation to join

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu office said in a post on X earlier today that he had accepted Trump’s invitation to join the Board of Peace.

The development came as Israeli fire killed at least 11 Palestinians, including two boys and three journalists, in Gaza, local medics said. The Israeli military said it had “eliminated” a Palestinian who posed a threat to soldiers.

In the latest violence disrupting a brittle, three-month-old ceasefire, Palestinian health officials said an Israeli airstrike killed three Palestinian journalists travelling in a car in the central Gaza Strip.

The three were on an assignment sponsored by the Egyptian Committee, which supervises Egypt’s relief work in Gaza, to film tent encampments built by Egypt for displaced Palestinians, other local journalists told Reuters. An Egyptian security source confirmed the vehicle belonged to the committee but gave no further details. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Earlier today, Palestinian medics said three people, including a 10-year-old boy, were killed by Israeli tank shelling east of Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza. Two others — a 13-year-old boy and a woman — were killed in two Israeli shooting incidents in eastern Khan Younis in Gaza’s south, they said.

Three other Palestinians were killed in separate shootings across the coastal enclave, bringing today’s death toll to at least 11, according to the health ministry in Gaza. Residents said the two shooting incidents occurred in Palestinian-controlled areas. There was no immediate Israeli military comment on those incidents.

Earlier, a Turkish source told Reuters that Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will represent Turkiye’s president on the Board of Peace.

Trump ‌had sent an invitation ‍to ‌President Tayyip Erdogan ⁠to become a ​member of the board.

Trump is ⁠due to preside over a ceremony marking the Board of Peace on Thursday at the annual ‌meeting of the WEF in Davos, Switzerland. “Hakan [Fidan] will join,” Erdogan told reporters in parliament today when asked whether he accepted Trump’s invitation.

The White House had earlier announced that Fidan was a member of a separate “Gaza Executive Board”, along with US Secretary of State Marco ⁠Rubio, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, former British prime minister Tony Blair and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

The Turkish source with knowledge of the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Fidan would also ‍represent Erdogan at the leaders-level Board of ​Peace. The Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Fidan would attend the signing ceremony on Thursday.

Egypt also accepted an invitation to join the board, its foreign ministry said in a statement.

Norway, Italy to not participate 

Italy will not take part in the proposed initiative, daily Corriere della Sera reported today, citing concerns that joining a body led by a single country’s leader would violate Italy’s constitution.

Trump’s plan has so far drawn cautious reactions from Western allies, with diplomats warning it could undermine the work of the United Nations.

A source told Reuters that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a right-wing leader who has had warm relations with Trump, was unlikely to attend the Davos event. The Italian government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

According to Italy’s constitution, the country may join international organisations that ensure “peace and justice among nations” only “on equal terms with other states” — a condition incompatible with US primacy within the proposed board, Corriere said. The newspaper did not cite a source for its report.

Invitations to join the board have been sent to around 60 countries, but only a handful, including Hungary, the UAE and Israel, have so far accepted without reservations. Adding to concerns among Western allies, the Kremlin said this week that Russian President Vladimir Putin had also been invited.

Meanwhile, Norway’s government said Wednesday it would not join the “Board of Peace” initiated by Trump, who has vented his frustration at the Nordic country after being snubbed for the Nobel Peace Prize. “The American proposal raises a number of questions” requiring “further dialogue with the United States”, State Secretary Kristoffer Thoner said in a statement.

“Norway will therefore not join the proposed arrangements for the Board of Peace, and will therefore not attend a signing ceremony in Davos,” Thoner said. Norway would continue its close cooperation with the United States, he added.

The government representative added that Norway shared Trump’s “goal of lasting peace in Ukraine, Gaza and in other situations”.

What is the ‘Board of Peace’?

The “Board of Peace” will be an international organisation chaired by US President Donald Trump, designed to promote stability, restore governance, and secure peace in conflict-affected areas.

Membership is by invitation from the US president, represented by heads of state or government. Countries contributing over $1 billion in the first year receive permanent membership. Each member serves a three-year term, with one vote per state at annual meetings, though decisions require chairman approval, who can also break ties.

Trump holds exclusive authority to create or dissolve subsidiary entities, select an executive board, and adopt resolutions.

The executive board, tasked with operationalising the board’s mission, includes seven members: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump adviser Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, former UK PM Tony Blair, financier Marc Rowan, World Bank President Ajay Banga, and Trump aide Robert Gabriel.