US President Donald Trump on Monday especially thanked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and “my favorite” Field Marshal Asim Munir for their efforts to bring peace to Gaza, among many other world leaders.
Trump was addressing a ceremony following the signing of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas at the Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit in Egypt. He also invited Prime Minister Shehbaz to deliver a special address at the ceremony.
Taking to the podium, Prime Minister Shehbaz thanked Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi for their efforts in securing the peace deal.
“Today is one of the greatest days in contemporary history because peace has been achieved after tireless efforts led by President Trump, who is genuinely a man of peace. [and] who has worked tirelessly and tirelessly throughout these months, day after day, to make this world a place to live in peace and prosperity.”
”I would say that Pakistan had nominated President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his outstanding and extraordinary contributions in first stopping the war between India and Pakistan and then achieving a ceasefire along with his wonderful team. And today again, I would like to nominate this great president for the Nobel Peace Prize because I really feel that he is the most genuine and wonderful candidate for the Peace Prize because not only did he bring peace to South Asia, he saved the lives of millions of people and today, here in Sharm el-Sheikh, he achieved peace in Gaza and saved millions of lives in the Middle East.”
Prime Minister Shehbaz said he wanted to congratulate Trump for his “exemplary [and] visionary leadership.
“You are the man this world needed most right now. The world will always remember you as a man who did it all.” [and] “He did everything possible to stop seven and today eight wars,” he added.
The prime minister also thanked the Emir of Qatar for his efforts to ensure peace in Gaza and the wider region, along with the efforts of the Turkish, Saudi and Emirati leaders.
“Suffice it to say that if it had not been for this gentleman, who knows, India and Pakistan are nuclear powers, if he had not intervened with his wonderful team during those four days, the war could have escalated to a level and who would have lived to tell what happened.”
“Likewise, here in this part of the world in the Middle East, Mr. President, I believe that your valuable contribution together with President Sisi will be remembered by history with golden words.”
Returning to the podium, Trump joked: “Wow! I wasn’t expecting that. Let’s go home, there’s nothing more to say. Goodbye everyone. That was really beautiful and beautifully phrased, thank you very much.”
Prime Minister meets other leaders
Prime Minister Shehbaz earlier reiterated Pakistan’s strong support for peace in the region and its solidarity with the people of Palestine when he met world leaders in Egypt.
Two years of Israeli bombing in the Palestinian enclave have claimed more than 67,000 lives, and the number continues to rise as more bodies are recovered. Last month, US President Trump brokered a truce with the help of eight Muslim nations between Hamas and Israel and paved the way for an end to the genocide in Gaza through a 20-point plan.
Last week, Hamas and Israel signed an agreement for a ceasefire and the release of Israeli captives in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, in the first phase of Trump’s initiative to end the conflict. Yesterday, a statement from the Foreign Office (FO) said the summit was the result of diplomatic efforts that began on the sidelines of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York last month.
Prime Minister Shehbaz arrived in Egypt today to participate in the Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit and attend the signing ceremony of a peace agreement aimed at ending the Gaza conflict. The prime minister arrived at the Congress Center to participate in the summit and was received upon arrival by the Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
The prime minister met with President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia, where the three leaders expressed satisfaction over the recent ceasefire in Gaza. The meeting marked a rare moment of convergence between the two Caucasus nations and underlined the broader international commitment to reducing tensions in the Middle East.
The prime minister also held bilateral talks with prominent world leaders, including King Abdullah II of Jordan, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain, UN Secretary-General Antnio Guterres, President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal. bin Farhan Al Saud.
The prime minister also met Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who thanked Pakistan for its “unwavering political and diplomatic support.”
Both leaders expressed their satisfaction with the ceasefire in Gaza and Prime Minister Shehbaz praised the courage and steadfastness of the Palestinian people.
During these meetings, Prime Minister Shehbaz emphasized the urgent need for coordinated international efforts to restore peace in the region. He highlighted Pakistan’s consistent stance on the Palestinian issue and reaffirmed Islamabad’s unwavering diplomatic and moral support for the Palestinian people.
“Our position is rooted in justice and humanity,” he said.
“Pakistan will continue to support the Palestinian cause and support all peaceful initiatives aimed at ending violence and ensuring the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.”
The meetings also included discussions on broader regional stability, strengthening multilateral cooperation and promoting dialogue to resolve long-standing conflicts.
He later met with Trump, who also arrived in Egypt to attend the signing ceremony and met with world leaders to welcome them.
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Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz hailed the peace plan as a “crucial step towards lasting peace in the Middle East”.
“Grateful to our co-hosts, President El Sisi and President Trump. We would not have seen this moment without President Trump’s outstanding leadership and unwavering commitment,” Prime Minister Shehbaz said on X.
“It took their determined pursuit of peace to end the unnecessary killing and destruction,” he said.
Prime Minister Shehbaz added that the ceremony marked the “closing of a genocidal chapter, which the international community must ensure is never repeated anywhere.”
He said the “brave and resilient” Palestinian people deserve to live in a free Palestine, “with pre-1967 borders, with Al Quds Al Sharif as its capital.”
Trump, along with Sisi, will chair the summit which will be attended by world leaders, including the head of the United Nations.
The meeting in the Red Sea resort city will bring together “leaders from more than 20 countries,” Sisi’s office had said. It will seek to “end the war in the Gaza Strip, enhance efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East, and usher in a new era of regional security.”
The British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, his Italian counterpart, Giorgia Meloni, and the Spanish Pedro Sánchez will also attend the summit. French President Emmanuel Macron and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will also travel to Sharm el-Sheikh, their offices said.
The European Council will be represented by its president, Antonio Costa, according to a spokesperson. King Abdullah II of Jordan is also expected to attend, according to state media.
Israel and Hamas, however, will not attend the summit.
“No Israeli officials will attend,” said Shosh Bedrosian, spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. AFP yesterday.
Likewise, Hamas confirmed that it will not participate directly. Hossam Badran, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, said AFP that the Palestinian group “will not be involved.” He noted that Hamas “acted primarily through…Qatari and Egyptian mediators” during previous negotiations.
