By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party on Friday lambasted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for attending the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace, renewing its objections to Islamabad’s decision to join the body without broader consultations, while a senior figure from coalition partner called for parliamentary scrutiny of a recent US deal on a landmark New York hotel.
The PTI, in a statement posted on X, voiced “grave concern over the government of Pakistan’s decision to join the Board of Peace without transparency, parliamentary debate, or consultation with major political stakeholders of the country”. “Decisions of such international significance must be rooted in constitutional procedure, democratic oversight and national consensus,” the party said.
The Board of Peace, formally set up last month after a proposal in September 2025 and initially intended to oversee peace efforts in Gaza, convened its first meeting on Feb. 19, drawing attendance from various world leaders including Sharif. The PTI maintained it did not recognise the legitimacy of the current parliament, which it said was formed after “manipulated 2024 elections”. “Nevertheless, even this Parliament was bypassed in this decision-making process, further eroding democratic norms and public trust,” the statement added.
Highlighting a contrast with former Prime Minister Imran Khan, the PTI described him as having “been among the most steadfast and vocal supporters of Palestinian rights on the global stage”. “His position on Palestine has always been clear and uncompromising,” it said. The party affirmed it stood “firmly with the Palestinian people and categorically rejects any plan imposed without their consent”. It reiterated support for “a just and lasting resolution through an independent and sovereign Palestinian state, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, in accordance with international law and long-standing PTI policy”.
The PTI argued that Pakistan’s involvement in global peace initiatives should bolster the United Nations framework rather than foster “parallel arrangements that weaken international law and accountability”. “Any initiative that claims to advance peace while excluding the very people under occupation contradicts the fundamental principles of justice and self-determination that PTI has always stood for,” the party said.
It questioned the board’s credibility, noting: “Palestinians remain excluded from the process while Israel continues to be included, even as violence persists in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank.” The opposition party labelled such a mechanism without Palestinian representation as “control”. The PTI sharply criticised Sharif for participating in the inaugural meeting and for “making statements that compromise Pakistan’s dignity, independent foreign policy and historically principled stance on oppressed peoples”.
The government’s choice to join the board, announced last month, had drawn flak from political parties including the PTI and from analysts. Officials defended the step in parliament, with Sharif later stating that Pakistan had proceeded after federal cabinet approval.
“Prime Property”
Separately, Raza Rabbani, a stalwart of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and former Senate chairman, said on Friday that the agreement signed with the United States for redeveloping the Roosevelt Hotel in New York “must be placed” before parliament. In a press release, Rabbani said: “The strategic economic initiative, including collaboration with the US General Services Administration, regarding the operation, maintenance, renovation and redevelopment of the Roosevelt Hotel has been signed without taking the people into confidence.”
He described the hotel as “prime property” in New York and insisted that dealings related to it must be transparent. “Parliament should have been taken into confidence before signing such memoranda of understanding (MoUs),” Rabbani said. He pointed to an earlier deal with the US concerning minerals in Balochistan that was “broken by international media”. “Till date, the details of this deal have not been made public,” he added.
Rabbani suggested the PPP should introduce a private members’ bill requiring all foreign agreements, once signed, to undergo parliamentary ratification. “I had moved such a bill when in the Senate,” he said. The comments followed Thursday’s signing of a memorandum of understanding between Pakistan and the US to establish a structured framework for cooperation on the Roosevelt Hotel’s future, advancing Islamabad’s privatisation push for the property. The finance ministry said the pact was finalised in Washington, with US General Services Administration Administrator Edward C. Forst and Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb executing it, witnessed by Sharif and US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
“It establishes a structured, time-bound framework for joint evaluation of the technical, commercial, and economic parameters of cooperation, reflecting a shared commitment to transparent, disciplined, and mutually beneficial progress,” the ministry said in a statement. The ministry highlighted the hotel’s prime Manhattan location and the intricacies of New York zoning and municipal processes, adding that “institutional coordination aims to reduce execution risk, enhance regulatory clarity, and maximise transaction value”. “Such facilitative frameworks are consistent with international practice in cross-border real estate and infrastructure projects,” it said. “The objective remains to secure maximum value for this property in alignment with the government’s privatisation strategy while strengthening Pakistan-United States economic ties.”
The century-old hotel, named after former US President Theodore Roosevelt, was acquired by Pakistan in 2000. It has over 1,000 rooms but was closed in 2020 amid heavy losses and briefly served as a migrant shelter. Situated in midtown Manhattan near Grand Central Terminal, Times Square and Fifth Avenue, it ranks among Pakistan’s most valuable overseas assets in one of the city’s priciest commercial districts
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