‘By joining, Pakistan is contributing alongside other Muslim nations to support peace in the region’
Minister of Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal speaking at the National Assembly PHOTO: YouTube/National Assembly of Pakistan
ISLAMABAD:
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Friday responded to remarks made by JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, defending Pakistan’s decision to join the Board of Peace and emphasising that the country’s participation strengthens efforts to support peace in Gaza and the broader Muslim world.
Pakistan accepted Trump’s invitation to join his Board of Peace, a new international mechanism aimed at supporting the implementation of the Gaza Peace Plan, a day ago. The Foreign Office did not provide details about the composition of the Board of Peace or its operational modalities, but officials indicated that the forum was expected to play a facilitative role in coordinating ceasefire arrangements, humanitarian assistance, and post-conflict reconstruction, while supporting a broader political track under UN auspices.
The signing ceremony for its charter was held yesterday in Davos.
Speaking in the National Assembly, Iqbal reasserted Pakistan’s principled stance on Israel, saying, “Israel is a brutal country, and there is no change in this principled stance. Pakistan has set an example of independence and sovereignty. The United States made five calls to prevent nuclear explosions, yet we decided with courage, despite the entire world. We are the guardians of Pakistan’s security and sovereignty”.
He said Pakistan’s “hearts are torn” over Gaza, adding: “If Pakistan had not participated in the Board of Peace, they would have said Pakistan stood alone.” By joining, the country is contributing alongside other Muslim nations, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, and the UAE, to support peace in the region.
Read: Officials deny Pakistani troops will be deployed to Gaza
Speaking further, he said: “With the PML-N in power, no one can cast a malicious eye on Pakistan’s security and stability. It is easy to make speeches in the cool and heated chambers of the Assembly, but we are criticising actions that the people of Palestine celebrated”.
He added that Pakistan’s prominent role today represents a diplomatic success, noting: “Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Bahrain, and the UAE are not only Muslim nations but also Pakistan’s closest allies, providing the country with a chance to contribute to peace across the Muslim world”.
During Thursday’s National Assembly session, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman criticised the government for joining the Board of Peace without consulting the National Assembly. He said Trump had formed the board according to his own wishes, deciding its membership himself and remaining its chairman. “If we then associate hopes of peace, economic stability, and a better future for Palestinians with such a board, it would be nothing but deceiving ourselves,” he said.
He also questioned Pakistan’s foreign policy, alleging that it has been shaped under external pressure and that the country had never pursued policies based on its own national interests. He further questioned whether current rulers were following Quaid-e-Azam’s stance on Israel, recalling that Muhammad Ali Jinnah had called Israel an “illegitimate state”.
Read more: Fazl, PTI slam govt move to join Trump’s Board of Peace sans parliamentary input
JUI-F chief also questioned whether the National Assembly had been consulted on the matter. “You are supposed to represent 250 million people there. Did you even consider taking this House into confidence for a moment?” he asked, adding that, while he did not view the assembly as a true representative of the people, it nonetheless claimed that status.
Calling the issue serious, he said the assembly was being given no importance and all its seats were effectively lying vacant. He also questioned whether the decision had been presented to the cabinet, describing it as the government’s executive body. “Even the cabinet was not taken into confidence,” he added.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) also rejected the government’s decision, saying it carried international significance and should not have been taken without transparency and broad-based political consultation. In a statement issued on X, the party said it did not accept the decision and stressed that “decisions of such international significance must always be undertaken with full transparency and inclusive consultation with all major political stakeholders”.
