WASHINGTON: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is among the leaders who have gathered in the US for the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace, where US President Donald Trump is currently speaking.
He began his address by saying that “this is a big day”.
“Lots of people watching, especially from other countries […] We have a large group of leaders, and the ones who aren’t here are watching from Zoom. I hope they enjoy it,” he added.
PM Shehbaz arrived in Washington DC on Thursday on an official visit to the United States, at the invitation of Trump to attend the meeting.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi are accompanying the premier as part of the Pakistani delegation.
Apart from attending the Board of Peace meeting, PM Shehbaz is also expected to hold meetings with senior US officials during the visit.
According to an official statement by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the visit reflects Pakistan’s inclusion in the Board of Peace, its “effective role for the promotion of global peace” and what it described as the country’s growing diplomatic outreach.
“In addition to attending the inaugural session of the BoP, the prime minister will also engage with senior US leadership, as well as his counterparts attending the meeting,” said a press release by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) dated Feb 18.
It added that the occasion would provide an opportunity for discussions on bilateral matters, as well as global issues of mutual concern.
All 22 invitees to the meeting have already joined the Board of Peace. Pakistan joined the board in late January, and signed the founding charter during the World Economic Forum in Davos.
The summit’s immediate focus is expected to be threefold: consolidating a ceasefire in Gaza, mobilising financial pledges for the BoP — with Washington announcing an initial commitment of $5 billion — and finalising the contours of a proposed global forum that Trump hopes can achieve what the United Nations could not.
Participants are also likely to discuss the proposed International Stabilisation Force (ISF), tasked with securing reconstruction zones and supporting a post-conflict governance arrangement in Gaza.
Eight Muslim-majority countries are expected to participate in the meeting. They include Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Qatar, and the UAE. Muslim participants are expected to adopt a unified position on Gaza-related issues.
Additional reporting by Syed Irfan Raza
