Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Photo: Radio Pakistan
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Saturday that the federal cabinet had approved Pakistan’s move to join United States President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace.
PM Shehbaz, who was in Davos to sign the charter of the board as part of efforts to support the implementation of the Gaza Peace Plan, joined other world leaders in endorsing the initiative. Trump launched the Board of Peace, initially focused on cementing the Gaza ceasefire, on Thursday, but said it could later take on a broader role that may concern other global powers.
Pakistan was among the countries invited to join the board. The announcement to join the body was strongly criticised by opposition lawmakers who assailed the government for carrying out such a move without parliamentary input.
Speaking to the media outside the Pakistan High Commission in London, the prime minister said: “Pakistan received the invitation to join the Board of Peace, so with consultation, the cabinet gave approval to join it and we did so with the hope that peace will be established in Gaza, there will be reconstruction, the Palestinians will get their rights with respect and peace will be established in the entire region.”
He said his visit to Davos was very productive. “I had a meeting with the managing director of the International Monetary Fund in Davos,” he added, describing the meeting as a “very good” one and saying that the Fund’s chief had praised Pakistan’s efforts.
Read More: PM Shehbaz, other global leaders sign charter
PM Shehbaz also said that he met Trump on his visit to Davos, who conveyed goodwill for Pakistan, adding that a ceasefire brokered with Trump’s support saved “millions of lives” in South Asia during last year’s conflict with India in May.
Pakistan was among the eight Muslim states that announced to be part of the body, which included Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Türkiye, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Pakistan had expressed the hope that with the creation of this framework, concrete steps would be taken towards the implementation of a permanent ceasefire, further scaling up of humanitarian aid for the Palestinians, as well as reconstruction of Gaza.
“Pakistan also hopes that these efforts will lead to the realization of the right to self-determination of the people of Palestine, through a credible, time-bound political process, consistent with international legitimacy and relevant UN resolutions, resulting 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,” the Foreign Office had earlier said in a statement.
What is Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’?
Trump first proposed the Board of Peace last September when he announced his plan to end the Gaza conflict. He later made clear the board’s remit would be expanded beyond Gaza to tackle other conflicts worldwide.
Also Read: Trump launches ‘Board of Peace’ for Gaza ceasefire
The US president will be the inaugural chairman of the board and it will be tasked with promoting peace around the world and working to resolve conflicts.
Member states would be limited to three-year terms unless they pay $1 billion each to fund the board’s activities and earn permanent membership, the charter says.
The White House has named 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, as members of the initiative’s founding Executive Board.
