By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said on Tuesday that the country’s leaders would decide whether to dispatch troops to a special peacekeeping force in Gaza as part of President Donald Trump’s peace plan, which has gained backing from eight Muslim nations and calls for Palestinian law enforcement to handle internal security.
Dar’s comments came as international momentum builds around Trump’s 20-point proposal for Gaza, which seeks a ceasefire, a hostage-and-prisoner exchange, a phased Israeli withdrawal, Hamas disarmament and reconstruction with global assistance. This week, foreign ministers from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Turkey, Qatar, Egypt and Jordan endorsed the plan, pledging “constructive engagement with Washington and all parties to finalise and implement the agreement.”
The proposal stemmed from Trump’s discussions with Muslim leaders in New York last week on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly’s 80th session. Leaders from the eight countries, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, met with Trump to urge an end to the Gaza genocide.
“Gaza peace plan envisaged deploying a peace force in Palestine,” Dar said at a media briefing in Islamabad. “Pakistani leadership will decide on sending troops for the special peacekeeping force in Gaza, as Indonesia has announced the deployment of 20,000 troops for the purpose.”
Dar stressed that any force should be documented at the United Nations but would not be a standard UN peacekeeping mission, operating instead as a Gaza-specific unit. “The force would ensure external security, while internal law and order would be managed by Palestinian police and agencies.”
The deputy prime minister said Muslim countries and the Palestinian Authority had welcomed the plan, though he pointed to domestic critics in Pakistan opposing it for political reasons. “Over 64,000 people have been killed there [in Palestine],” Dar argued. “Do the critics want this bloodshed to continue?”
He outlined the plan’s vision for an “independent Palestinian government of technocrats” in Gaza, “overseen by an international body, largely comprising Palestinians.”
On whether Hamas would accept the deal, Dar said five countries believe it would, especially the one that has hosted talks. “We should trust their assurances,” he added.
Dar made clear that Pakistan had no direct dealings with Israel. “We dealt with the United States and the United States dealt with Israel.”
Reading from the joint statement by the eight Muslim countries, Dar noted their commitment to “engage positively and constructively with the US and other parties to finalise the agreement and ensure its implementation in a way that guarantees peace, security and stability for the region’s peoples.”
He said Pakistan’s UN delegation had two aims: engaging in General Assembly activities and working with “like-minded countries” to ease Gaza’s suffering. “The prime minister was very clear [about it]. We had had consultations before leaving [for the US] as well. And eight countries, including Pakistan, agreed to take up this matter very proactively with President Trump during the US visit,” Dar said.
A preparatory session preceded the Trump meeting, where leaders presented objectives: a ceasefire, unimpeded humanitarian aid, an end to forced Palestinian displacement, the return of the displaced, Gaza reconstruction and halting Israel’s West Bank annexation efforts.
“When these objectives were conveyed to him (Trump) and he was asked to work with us on achieving them,” Dar said, the president suggested his team collaborate with the foreign ministers of the eight countries on a “workable solution.”
Subsequent talks remained “secret” and “classified,” Dar noted. After receiving the 20-point plan, the ministers held consultations, provided input and forwarded it to the US.
The joint statement was led by Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, incorporating Pakistan’s revisions. Dar recounted receiving messages from his Saudi counterpart on Monday. “He told me that five countries had reached a consensus on joint statement [regarding the Gaza plan] and that our agreement was needed on this matter as well, and that they had also reached out to Indonesia and the UAE.”
Dar said he consulted Pakistan’s foreign secretary, suggested changes, discussed objections with the Saudi minister and approved a revised version before its release.
He said the Palestinian Authority welcomed the statement. “On the one hand, the Palestinian Authority is welcoming this and on the other, [some over here] are criticising it,” Dar said, apparently alluding to local opposition.
Sharif voiced optimism about the New York talks and welcomed Trump’s plan. On Monday, after Trump met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, the US president announced Netanyahu’s agreement in a joint press conference, thanking Sharif and Pakistani army chief Asim Munir for their support.
Dar distanced Pakistan from the plan’s authorship, calling it “not our document.” “The document has been issued by the US,” he said. “This is not our document, which we sent to them. There are some key areas that we want covered … If they are not covered, they will be covered.”
He framed Trump’s announcement as “an announcement from their side,” focused on immediate goals: a ceasefire to “stop the blood, let the humanitarian aid flow and end forced displacement.”
“We have issued a joint statement on behalf of eight countries [that held a meeting with Trump in New York last week]. We own this. If there is any difference anywhere, we would go by — we are committed to this (joint statement),” Dar emphasized.
Dar referenced former British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s prior governance efforts. “He hasn’t been successful till now, but he might get an opportunity now.”
Affirming Pakistan’s unchanged policy on Gaza, Dar said it aligns with the other seven countries, including support for a two-state solution. He vowed “no compromise” on stopping West Bank annexation.
On Israel’s endorsement, Dar said U.S. involvement ensures it: “The sole reason the US had been involved in the matter was to ensure this.”
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