ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has received an invitation from United States President Donald Trump to join the Board of Peace on Gaza, the Foreign Office said on Sunday.
The disclosure was made in response to media queries by Pakistan Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi.
“The Prime Minister of Pakistan has received the invitation from the President of the United States to join the Board of Peace on Gaza,” Andrabi said in an official statement.
He reaffirmed Pakistan’s position on the Gaza conflict and the wider Palestinian issue, stressing continued diplomatic engagement.
“Pakistan will remain engaged with international efforts for peace and security in Gaza, leading to a lasting solution to the Palestine issue in accordance with United Nations resolutions,” the spokesperson said.
The Foreign Office did not elaborate on the scope of the proposed board or whether Pakistan has formally accepted the invitation.
US outlines Gaza governance framework
The invitation follows an announcement from the White House regarding what it described as the next phase of President Trump’s peace initiative for Gaza.
In a statement issued this week, the White House said President Trump had “congratulated the formation of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG),” a technocratic Palestinian body intended to oversee governance in the war-affected territory.
According to the statement, the NCAG will be led by Dr Ali Sha’ath, described as a technocratic Palestinian leader.
The White House said the proposed framework would include a main board chaired by President Trump, a Palestinian committee of technocrats tasked with administering Gaza, and a separate executive board intended to play an advisory role.
The committee was described as a central component of what the White House termed “phase two of Trump’s 20-point peace plan,” aimed at “lasting peace, stability, reconstruction, and prosperity in the region.”
“Ali Sha’ath will oversee the restoration of core public services, the rebuilding of civil institutions, and the stabilization of daily life in Gaza,” the statement said.
An initial list of appointees was released, with the White House indicating that additional names would be announced in the coming weeks.
OIC endorses second phase
Separately, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) welcomed what it called the start of the second phase of the peace initiative.
In an official statement, the OIC said it welcomed the launch of the new phase “under United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803,” as well as the formation of a Palestinian committee to administer Gaza “as a temporary transitional body.”
The OIC General Secretariat reiterated its support for “the geographical and institutional unity between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including the occupied city of Al-Quds (Jerusalem).”
It also condemned Israel’s occupation and called on member states to pressure Israel to “stop all its crimes and policies,” including “annexation, settlement, Judaization of Al-Quds (Jerusalem), forced displacement, and settler terrorism.”
The statement concluded by reaffirming the OIC’s support for “achieving an independent Palestinian state with East Al-Quds (Jerusalem) as its capital, based on United Nations resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.”
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