Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Saturday that Pakistan was willing to commit its troops to Gaza peacekeepers, but distanced the country from any role in disarming the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.
A cornerstone of US-mediated Gaza peace agreement is the establishment of the International Stabilization Force (ISF), composed mainly of troops from Muslim-majority countries. An announcement from the federal government on the decision is expected soon, according to officials close to the discussions.
Officials familiar with the deliberations, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said discussions within the government and military establishment were at an “advanced stage.” According to them, the tone of the internal consultations suggests that Islamabad is willing to participate in the mission.
Last week, the UN Security Council (UNSC) adopted a resolution drafted by the United States supporting President Donald Trump’s initiative. plan to end the conflict in Gaza. The plan also authorizes the ISF for the Palestinian enclave. Thirteen members of the United Nations Security Council, including Pakistan, voted in favor of the resolution, while Russia and China abstained. However, Hamas rejected the resolution and also condemned the establishment of an international force whose “mission includes the disarmament” of Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza.
The Foreign Minister said that the issue of disarmament of Hamas first arose during a meeting in Riyadh on the two-state solution. The Minister of Foreign Affairs spoke at a press conference held today at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“We are not prepared for that. This is not our job, but that of the Palestinian law enforcement agencies. Our job is peacekeeping, not peace enforcement. We are definitely ready to contribute to the force; in principle, the prime minister has already announced, after consulting with the field marshal, that we will contribute, but this decision cannot be made until it is decided what its objective will be. [ISF] mandate and TOR (terms of reference) will be.”
“According to my information, if this includes the disarmament of Hamas, then even my Indonesian counterpart has informally expressed his reservation.”
Dar said he was present at the initial talks when the issue of force was raised, adding that Indonesia had offered 20,000 troops and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had also signaled “in principle” that Pakistan would positively consider its participation.
The issue of any alleged role of Pakistan in disarming Hamas had drawn the ire of Defense Minister Khawaja Asif last month**, who had strongly denied and condemned controversial comments made by government spokesman Danyal Chaudhry that the force’s mandate would include disarmament of Hamas.
Speaking about the FSI, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, had said in the UN Security Council vote that it could only be stabilized if it operated under a clear and consistent mandate with the UN. Disarmament, he had said, must be carried out through a negotiated political process under a unified Palestinian National Authority.
The text of the resolution says that member states can participate in the Peace Board, intended as a transitional authority that would oversee the reconstruction and economic recovery of Gaza.
It also authorizes the ISF, which would ensure a process of demilitarization of Gaza, including through the dismantling of weapons and the destruction of military infrastructure.
trump 20 point plan It is included as an annex to the resolution.
The Gaza Strip has been largely reduced to rubble after Two years of Israeli attack.caused by the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
The text of the resolution also says that “the conditions may finally be in place for a credible path to self-determination and the creation of a Palestinian state” once the Palestinian Authority has carried out a reform program and the redevelopment of Gaza has moved forward.
Israel has already firmly rejected that possibility.
More to follow.
