Pakistan has accepted US President Donald Trump’s invitation to join the “Board of Peace” with the aim of supporting efforts to achieve lasting peace in Gaza, the Foreign Office (FO) said on Wednesday.
In an official statement, the FO said: “In response to the invitation extended to Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif by the President of the United States, H.E. Donald J. Trump, Pakistan would like to announce its decision to join the Board of Peace (BoP) as part of its ongoing efforts to support the implementation of the Gaza Peace Plan under the framework of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803.”
The Foreign Office added that Pakistan hopes the new framework will help deliver real progress on the ground. “Pakistan expresses the hope that with the creation of this framework, concrete steps will be taken towards the implementation of a permanent ceasefire, further scaling up of humanitarian aid for the Palestinians, as well as reconstruction of Gaza,” the statement said.
It further said Pakistan supports a political process that leads to Palestinian statehood. “These efforts will lead to the realization of the right to self-determination of the people of Palestine… resulting in the establishment of an independent, sovereign, and contiguous State of Palestine, based on the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.”
The FO concluded by saying Pakistan “looks forward to continue playing a constructive role… to end the suffering of our Palestinian brothers and sisters.”
A new body with a broad and controversial mandate
The idea of the Board of Peace was first announced by President Trump last September as part of his plan to end the Gaza conflict.
However, invitations sent to world leaders last week outline a much broader role for the body including involvement in post war governance and reconstruction.
According to a draft charter seen by Reuters, around 60 countries were invited, with a condition that members contribute $1 billion in cash if they want their membership to last beyond three years.
The charter also proposes that the board be chaired by Trump himself and expanded into a permanent global body to deal with other conflicts.
The document grants wide powers to the chairman, including the authority to appoint or remove member states and to approve all major decisions effectively giving Trump veto power over the body’s actions.
International reactions and next steps
The inclusion of a formal charter has raised concerns in some European capitals that the new body could undermine the role of the United Nations.
Media reports say the Trump administration wants the board to be a “more nimble” alternative to existing international structures.
So far, only a few countries, including Hungary, Israel and the United Arab Emirates have accepted the invitation without reservations. Pakistan’s decision places it among the early participants as the initiative begins to take shape.
Read more: Trump’s Board of Peace Draws Global Media Attention
