“By joining, Pakistan, along with other Muslim nations, contributes to supporting peace in the region”
Minister for 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 by JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who defended Pakistan’s decision to join the board for peace and stressed that the country’s participation strengthens efforts to support peace in Gaza and the wider 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 State Department did not provide details on the composition of the Peace Council or its operational modalities, but officials indicated that the forum was expected to play a facilitating role in coordinating ceasefire arrangements, humanitarian aid and post-conflict reconstruction, while supporting a broader policy track under UN auspices.
The signing ceremony for its charter was held yesterday in Davos.
Speaking in the National Assembly, Iqbal reaffirmed 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 US made five calls to prevent nuclear explosions, but we decided with courage, despite the guardians of the entire world and the sovereign guardians of Pakistan”.
He said Pakistan’s “hearts are torn” over Gaza, adding: “If Pakistan had not attended the Peace Council, they would have said Pakistan stood alone.” By joining, the country, along with other Muslim nations including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar and the UAE, is helping to support peace in the region.
Read: Officials deny that Pakistani troops will be deployed to Gaza
He further said, “With the PML-N in power, no one can cast a malicious eye on the security and stability of Pakistan. It is easy to make speeches in the cool and heated chambers of the Assembly, but we criticize actions that the people of Palestine celebrated”.
He added that Pakistan’s prominence today represents a diplomatic success, noting: “Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Bahrain and the UAE are not only Muslim nations but also Pakistan’s closest allies, giving it a chance to contribute to peace throughout the Muslim world”.
During Thursday’s National Assembly meeting, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman criticized the government for joining the board for 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 hope for peace, economic stability and a better future for the Palestinians with such a board, it would be nothing but deceiving ourselves,” he said.
He also questioned Pakistan’s foreign policy, claiming 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 the current rulers followed Quaid-e-Azam’s stance on Israel, recalling that Muhammad Ali Jinnah had called Israel an “illegitimate state”.
Read more: Fazl, PTI slams government’s decision to join Trump’s Board of Peace without parliamentary input
The JUI-F chief also questioned whether the National Assembly had been consulted on the matter. “You have to represent 250 million people there. Did you even consider taking Parliament into confidence for a moment?” he asked, adding that while he did not consider the assembly a true representative of the people, it nevertheless claimed that status.
Calling the problem serious, he said that no importance was attached to the assembly and that all its seats were effectively vacant. He also questioned whether the decision had been submitted to the cabinet, describing it as the executive body of the government. “Even the cabinet was not taken into confidence,” he added.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) also rejected the government’s decision, saying it had international significance and should not have been taken without transparency and broad political consultation. In a statement issued on X, the party said it did not accept the decision and stressed that “decisions of such international importance must always be made with full transparency and inclusive consultation of all major political stakeholders”.
