First Session of Board of Peace Will Test Pakistan’s Sincerity To Palestinian Cause

ISLAMABAD:  The inaugural session of the Board of Peace (BoP), which is taking place today in  Washington, will be a substantially important diplomatic event–an event which will test the sincerity of Muslim countries’ commitment to Palestinian cause.

Pakistan, A Muslim country which has been extremely vocal in support of Palestinian cause, will be asked during the Board meeting to contribute a large number of troops to the International Stabilization Force for Gaza.

Pakistan political and military leaders are perceived as extremely close to US President Trump, whose Administration has formally asked the Pakistan government to send 3500 troops to Gaza. Pakistan, however, appears reluctant to send troops which would have to perform the function of disarming Palestinian groups.

“At the invitation of U.S. President Donald J. Trump, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will undertake an official visit to Washington, D.C., to attend the inaugural session of the Board of Peace on 19 February 2026” Foreign Office said.

The Prime Minister will be accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, along with other ministers and senior officials.

In addition to attending the inaugural session of the BOP, the Prime Minister will also engage with senior U.S. leadership, as well as his counterparts attending the meeting. The occasion will provide an opportunity for discussions on bilateral matters, as well as global issues of mutual concern.

The Board meeting is an important diplomatic event of world significance from the perspective of issues other than Gaza. For example, the US President expects the Board of Peace to function as a body which will resolve international conflicts and work for peace throughout the world. This will make BoP a rival organization of the UN Security Council, a body mandated by UN charter to handle international and local conflicts throughout the world.

Observers attach great importance to the fact that countries like Pakistan will have to take a position on this issue. Pakistan’s diplomacy in the last more than 70 years is completely dependent and revolves around the UN charter and UN mandated international action.

Pakistan’s adherence to the United Nations (UN) and its participation in President Trump’s Board of Peace (BoP) are being navigated through a policy of “parallel engagement” rather than direct conflict. Pakistan maintains that the BoP is an instrument to implement UN mandates, though critics and some international observers suggest the two bodies may eventually clash.

Pakistan has put two conditions for sending its troops to Gaza for participation  in Peacekeeping operations. Firstly the peacekeeping must be mandated by the United Nations Security Council and second Pakistan troops would not take part in disarming HAMAS and other Palestinian resistance groups.

Major European countries have declined to join the Board of Peace saying it is a threat to rule based order. European allies and some Pakistani analysts express concern that the BoP is designed as a rival to the UN.

If the BoP begins to operate unilaterally or bypasses the UNSC on issues like Gaza’s demilitarization, Pakistan’s historical commitment to the UN Charter would be tested. Pakistan has clarified that any troop deployment would require a clear UN mandate, the aspirations of the Palestinian people, and national interest. A clash could occur if Trump pushes for an ISF deployment through the BoP that lacks a formal UN peacekeeping structure.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is currently in Washington, D.C. to attend the inaugural session of the Board of Peace (Bo, at the invitation of US President Donald Trump.

Most of the Muslim countries attach great importance to the process of Gaza Reconstruction, which has been destroyed by two years of ruthless military operations of Israeli Defense Forces. The summit will focus on mobilizing financial commitments for post-war rehabilitation. Muslim-majority countries are reportedly expected to contribute up to $5 billion toward these efforts.
Prime Minister Sharif is expected to reiterate Pakistan’s principled stance for an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.