Islamabad, Feb 10 (.) Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is set to attend the inaugural meeting of the Gaza Board of Peace in Washington later this month, as Islamabad steps into a new US-backed diplomatic effort focused on Gaza.
According to media reports, the first meeting of the Gaza Board of Peace will be held on February 19 under the chairmanship of US President Donald Trump, with all member states expected to participate.
Ahead of the Washington visit, Sharif is scheduled to travel to Germany from February 13 -15 to attend the Munich Security Conference, according to Hum News. Following the trip’s conclusion, he is expected to fly directly to the US for the Gaza meeting.
As per the media outlet’s sources, Muslim-majority countries represented on the board are likely to coordinate a joint position at the session.
Discussions are expected to focus on the current situation in Gaza, pathways toward peace and stability, and a possible future course of action for the war-ravaged area.
Pakistan had earlier accepted an invitation from President Trump to join the proposed Board of Peace, which Washington has described as an international initiative aimed at stabilisation, humanitarian relief and post-war reconstruction in Gaza.
Subsequently, Pakistan’s Foreign Office moved to clarify Islamabad’s position, rejecting speculation that participation in the board was linked to the Abraham Accords. The ministry reiterated that Pakistan would not become a party to the Accords’ normalisation agreements with Israel.
Pakistan has joined the Gaza Board of Peace alongside seven other Muslim-majority countries, which include Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan, the UAE, Indonesia, and Qatar, in what has been referred to as a “collective effort to promote peace and recovery in the war-torn Palestinian enclave.”
The Board of Peace, which was announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos – subject to both strong support and massive criticism- is intended to complement the wider UN efforts to stabilise the war-torn enclave.
However, many opposing parties have in Pakistan have questioned the government’s decision, arguing it could needlessly entangle Islamabad in a long-winded, multi-faceted, complex geopolitical framework tied to the US and the wider developments in West Asia, particularly at a time when the country’s economy is in dire straits, its socio-political situation rife with instability, and its security apparatus already stretched thin.
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