Discussion centred on global, regional issues; discussion with Rubio covered minerals, American company investments
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif attends the inaugural meeting of Board of Peace in Washington DC, February 19 , 2026. PHOTO: PM OFFICE ON X
WASHINGTON:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with several global leaders, including US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during his visit to Washington, DC, for the inaugural session of the “Board of Peace”. The discussions centred on global and regional issues, and Secretary Rubio discussed critical minerals, energy-sector development, and investment opportunities for American companies in Pakistan with PM Shehbaz.
Read: PM to attend Gaza Board of Peace meeting
In a press release from the Prime Minister’s Office, Prime Minister (PM) Sharif engaged with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan, and President Joko Widodo of Indonesia.
Additionally, according to the US State Department Office’s press release, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with PM Sharif, praising Pakistan’s ongoing support for President Trump’s Peace Plan for Gaza and thanked the country for its role as a founding member of the “Board of Peace”.
He expressed condolences for the recent attacks in Balochistan and Islamabad, reaffirming the importance of continued cooperation in the fight against terrorism. They discussed critical minerals, energy sector development, and investment opportunities for American companies in Pakistan.
PM Sharif arrived in Washington, DC, on Thursday to attend the inaugural summit of the United States‑led “Board of Peace”, an initiative focused on Gaza and global conflict resolution. His delegation included senior officials such as Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and other cabinet ministers, and his visit was at the invitation of US President Donald Trump.
Read more: Trump says US to give $10b to new ‘Board of Peace’
At the summit, President Trump publicly praised PM Shehbaz and Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) Asim Munir, recounting their role in achieving a ceasefire in the May conflict with India and expressing personal admiration for both PM Shehbaz and CDF Munir.
PM Shehbaz, in his address at the “Board of Peace” meeting, welcomed efforts towards lasting peace in Gaza and stressed the importance of ending ceasefire violations to enable reconstruction and stability in the war‑torn Strip. He reiterated Pakistan’s support for Palestinian self‑determination and a sovereign, contiguous Palestinian state.
Ahead of and during the visit, officials emphasised that Islamabad will carefully consider any participation in an international stabilisation force in Gaza, seeking clear assurances that such a mission would be strictly peacekeeping in nature and not involve disarmament actions against Hamas, as per Reuters.
