Federal cabinet authorizes to join Board of Peace: PM

LONDON: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that Pakistan’s federal cabinet has authorized him to join US President Donald Trump’s Gaza ‘Board of Peace’, ARY News reported on Sunday.

Talking to media in London outside the Pakistan’s High Commission, prime minister said that Board of Peace has been joined with the hope that it will bring peace in Gaza and the people of Palestine will get their rights with honour and dignity.

He called his Davos visit ‘very good’, “President Trump expressed his good wishes for Pakistan”, Sharif said.

He said the IMF’s managing director Kristalina Georgieva in a meeting lauded reforms in Pakistan.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday signed the Board of Peace charter, alongside other founding members in Davos.

US President Donald Trump hosted a signing ceremony for the founding charter of the body, which aims to resolve international conflicts and requires a reported $1 billion fee for permanent membership.

Originally meant to oversee the rebuilding of Gaza after the war between Hamas and Israel, the board’s charter does not limit its role to the Strip and has sparked concerns that Trump wants it to rival the United Nations.

Speaking at the launch of the Board of Peace at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump said that Hamas must disarm under the Gaza ceasefire deal or it will be the “end” of the Palestinian movement.

“They have to give up their weapons, and if they don’t do that, it’s going to be the end of them,” Trump said, adding that the Islamist group “were born with rifles in their hands.”

Earlier, Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson said on Tuesday that the country’s participation was being undertaken under the Gaza peace framework, in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803.

The government expressed hope that the Board of Peace would play a pivotal role in securing a permanent ceasefire, facilitating increased humanitarian assistance, and supporting post-conflict reconstruction in Gaza.

The spokesperson noted that Pakistan expects the establishment of the Board’s framework to lead to concrete steps toward implementing a lasting ceasefire, expanding humanitarian aid delivery, and initiating practical measures for Gaza’s reconstruction. The Foreign Office expressed optimism that these efforts would contribute meaningfully to fulfilling the legitimate rights and aspirations of the Palestinian people.