Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif reaches Washington D.C to attend the inaugural session of Board of Peace. Washington, 19 February 2026.. PHOTO: EXPRESS
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has arrived in Washington to participate in the “Board of Peace”, as Pakistan has denied that it will join the International Stabilisation Force to demilitarise Hamas.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar, and Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi are accompanying the Prime Minister in the Pakistani delegation, alongside delegations from 20 other countries.
According to the release, the PM will attend the Board of Peace meeting in Washington today, and high-level meetings between the PM and US officials are also expected in Washington.
Before Pakistan commits to sending troops to Gaza as part of the International Stabilisation Force (ISF), it wants assurances from the United States that it will be a peacekeeping mission rather than tasked with disarming Hamas, three sources told Reuters.
The ISF will operate under the Board’s “Comprehensive Plan”, with the US in command, tasked with stabilising Gaza, overseeing humanitarian zones, and protecting civilians as the Comprehensive Plan is implemented.
Trump, who will chair the meeting, is expected to announce a multi-billion-dollar reconstruction plan for Gaza and detail plans for a UN-authorised stabilisation force for the Palestinian enclave.
Three government sources said during the Washington visit, Sharif wanted to better understand the goal of the ISF, what authority they were operating under and what the chain of command was before deciding on deploying troops.
“We are ready to send troops. Let me make it clear that our troops could only be part of a peace mission in Gaza,” said one of the sources, a close aide of Sharif.
“We will not be part of any other role, such as disarming Hamas. It is out of the question,” he said.
‘Board of Peace’
The “Board of Peace”, a transitional governing body created to oversee Gaza and implement the so‑called Comprehensive Plan aimed at ending the conflict there, has centralised authority to manage Gaza’s transition, demobilisation and demilitarisation, and it can issue resolutions, form sub‑committees, and change civil and criminal laws under the direction and control of its chairman.
It is chaired for life by Donald Trump, giving him wide authority over decisions, appointments, and the direction of operations.
The Board oversees a National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a technocratic body of Palestinians, with decision-making power consolidated with the Board and its High Representative.
The document also outlines an International Stabilisation Force (ISF), initially to be led by the United States with operational command under a US Major General. The ISF will assist in security, humanitarian protection and controlled civilian‑protection corridors.
Pakistan does not have representation on the Gaza Executive Board, meaning it won’t directly influence decisions there.
Read more: Pakistan’s decision to join Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ draws mixed reactions
Officials have defended Pakistan’s decision to join the Board while critics warn that the board’s structure centralises power and sidelines Palestinian agency, expressing concern that future pressure might emerge to participate in actions Pakistan opposes, such as efforts concerning Hamas.
