Pakistan joins Trump’s peace board for ‘lasting peace’ in Gaza

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has decided to join US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, the Foreign Office announced on Wednesday, saying Islamabad wants to contribute to stability in Gaza.

In a statement, the Foreign Office said the decision was part of Pakistan’s efforts to support the implementation of the Gaza Peace Plan under United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803.

According to the statement, the invitation was extended last week after the Trump administration contacted global figures to join the board and related bodies overseeing governance and reconstruction in post-war Gaza.

Trump is expected to formally announce the first charter of the so-called Board of Peace in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday. The body was initially conceived to oversee Gaza’s rebuilding, though a draft charter seen by AFP suggests its mandate may not be limited to the Palestinian territory. Permanent membership reportedly carries a price tag of $1 billion.

The Foreign Office said Pakistan hoped the establishment of the board would lead to concrete steps towards a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, a major expansion of humanitarian assistance for Palestinians and the reconstruction of the war-ravaged area.

It added that Islamabad also expected these efforts to pave the way for the realisation of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination through a credible and time-bound political process, in line with international law and relevant UN resolutions.

The statement said this process should result in an independent, sovereign and contiguous State of Palestine based on pre-1967 borders, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. Pakistan reaffirmed its commitment to playing a constructive role within the Board of Peace to help achieve these objectives and ease the suffering of Palestinians.

The US-brokered October deal on Gaza has not moved beyond its first phase, under which major fighting halted, some Israeli forces pulled back and Hamas released hostages in exchange for Palestinian detainees and prisoners.

Despite the ceasefire, Israel has continued violations, with more than 460 Palestinians reported killed in clashes since October. Future phases of the plan include Hamas disarmament, further Israeli withdrawals and the installation of an internationally backed administration to rebuild Gaza, but no timeline has been agreed.

A day earlier, Trump suggested the Board of Peace might replace the United Nations, though he later said the UN should be allowed to continue, citing its untapped potential.

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The White House has named several individuals expected to sit on the board, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff, former British prime minister Tony Blair and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Observers and rights experts have raised concerns that the board could undermine the UN, with some comparing it to a colonial-style structure and criticising the involvement of figures linked to past conflicts in the Middle East.