Fazl, PTI slam govt move to join Trump's Board of Peace sans parliamentary input

Fazl claims Pakistan's policies are being shaped by global pressure; Tariq Fazal defends move

ISLAMABAD:

The opposition slammed the government’s decision on Thursday to participate in United States President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” without parliamentary approval and called for the withdrawal of any formal involvement until a complete consultative process was undertaken.

Pakistan accepted Trump's invitation to join his Board of Peace, a new international mechanism aimed at supporting the implementation of the Gaza Peace Plan, a day ago. The Foreign Office did not provide details about the composition of the Board of Peace or its operational modalities, but officials indicated that the forum was expected to play a facilitative role in coordinating ceasefire arrangements, humanitarian assistance, and post-conflict reconstruction, while supporting a broader political track under UN auspices.

The signing ceremony for its charter was held today in Davos.

Addressing the National Assembly on the development, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman strongly criticised the formation of a so-called “Board of Peace” under Trump.

 

امیر جے یو آئی مولانا فضل الرحمن کی پارلیمنٹ ہاؤس کے باہر میڈیا سے گفتگو۔
پاکستان نے ٹرمپ کے پیس بورڈ کو کل جوائن کرنے کا اعلان کیا ہے آپ کا کیاموقف ہے صحافی کا سوال۔
یہ کیسا امن بورڈ ہے جس میں فساد کی جڑ نتین یاہو کو شامل کرلیا گیا ہے
امن بورڈ میں فلسطینی شامل نہیں مگر نتین… pic.twitter.com/NgNtggrgUE

— Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Pakistan (@juipakofficial) January 22, 2026

The JUI-F chief said that Trump was forming the Board of Peace according to his own wishes, deciding its membership himself and remaining its chairman. “If we then associate hopes of peace, economic stability and a better future for Palestinians with such a board, it would be nothing but deceiving ourselves,” he said.

Referring to the Israeli bombardment of Gaza and the resulting casualties, Fazl said that more than 70,000 innocent Palestinians had been killed over the past one to one-and-a-half years. He added that over 100,000 people had died due to hunger and poverty, while more than 150,000 had been rendered homeless. “Does anyone feel the pain these people have gone through?” he asked.

Raising questions over Pakistan’s foreign policy, the JUI-F leader said policies in the country were shaped under external pressure, and Pakistan had never formulated its foreign policy around its own national interests.

Fazl accused Pakistan’s policies of being shaped under global pressure and questioned whether current rulers followed Quaid-e-Azam’s stance on Israel, recalling that Muhammad Ali Jinnah had called Israel an “illegitimate state”.

The NA session heard updates on the ongoing displacement from the Tirah valley in Khyber district. Fazl alleged that contractors in areas in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, including Tank, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, and Dera Ismail Khan, were being forced to pay extortion money, stating that it seemed as if a certain amount of the budget was being allocated to armed groups.

Following a surge in unrest and escalating security concerns, large-scale displacement is currently underway in Tirah Valley, with thousands of families leaving their homes for safer areas, including Bara and Peshawar.

Criticising Western powers, Maulana said Israel was established under British patronage and that the League of Nations’ recommendation against Jewish settlement in Palestine was ignored. “Those responsible for creating the Palestine issue are now acting as its judges,” he said.

Read: Trump launches ‘Board of Peace’ as allies fear challenge to UN role

He also criticised the government for not taking the NA into confidence over key decisions, questioning whether the House had been consulted at all. “You are supposed to represent 250 million people there. Did you even consider taking this House into confidence for a moment?” he said, adding that while he did not consider the assembly a true representative of the people, it nonetheless claimed to be one.

Calling the issue serious, JUI-F leader said the assembly was being given no importance and that all its seats were effectively lying vacant. He further asked whether the decision had even been presented before the cabinet, which he described as the government’s executive body. “Even the cabinet was not taken into confidence,” he added.

Questioning the need for establishing a Board of Peace in the presence of the United Nations, he asked whether such a body did not amount to a parallel institution while also questioning the role of international organisations that were already mandated to deal with such matters.

Fazl strongly criticised the decision to include Israel as a member of the Board of Peace. He said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he described as a "butcher", was made a member of the board, despite the killings carried out under Israel’s actions.

“Despite a year passing since Trump’s peace formula, bombardment is still ongoing even today; the bombing has not stopped,” he said.

Fazl added that even after a year of Trump’s peace formula, bombardment had not stopped and civilians were still being targeted.

He questioned how Netanyahu and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif could sit side by side on the same platform and deliberate on peace in the region while bombardment continued.

Fazl raised eyebrows at Pakistan's ability to bring peace to Palestine, while the country itself reeled from growing terrorism: 

The JUI-F leader said the Constitution had lost its sanctity and amendments were being used to weaken the public and consolidate authority.

Announcing February 8 as a "black bay", Rehman stated, “Our system is not democratic; it is being run through coercion,” adding that the two-thirds majority was “manufactured under pressure”.

Concluding his remarks, he said that Pakistan should under no circumstances accept a US-led Board of Peace that included Netanyahu. “We should clearly refuse and state that under Trump’s chairmanship and with Netanyahu’s presence, this Board of Peace has no credibility or usefulness, and we reject it,” he stated.

 

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) also rejected the government’s decision to join the “Board of Peace”, saying such a move carried international significance and must not be taken without transparency and broad-based political consultation.

In a statement issued on X, the party said it did not accept the decision and stressed that “decisions of such international significance must always be undertaken with full transparency and inclusive consultation with all major political stakeholders”.

The party reiterated that it did not recognise the legitimacy of the current Parliament, claiming the 2024 general election results were manipulated. PTI said it was the largest political party in the country but did not consider the existing parliamentary setup representative of the people’s mandate.

However, it added that even within the present parliamentary framework, the government should have discussed such a major decision openly before proceeding. 

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Statement on Government of Pakistan’s Decision to Join the “Board of Peace”:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf does not accept the Government of Pakistan’s decision to join the “Board of Peace.” PTI emphasizes that decisions of such international…

— PTI (@PTIofficial) January 22, 2026

“We firmly believe that Pakistan’s participation in any international peace initiative should complement and reinforce the United Nations’ multilateral system, rather than creating parallel structures that could dilute or complicate global governance,” the statement read.

Referring to its foreign policy stance under former prime minister Imran Khan, PTI said Pakistan’s international engagements must safeguard national sovereignty and reflect national consensus. 

"Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, as the largest political party in Pakistan and every Pakistani citizen as human beings, stands firmly with the Palestinian people and will not accept any plans against the wishes of the people of Palestine,” the statement said.

Expressing concern over the situation in Gaza, PTI said it was “deeply saddened and concerned by the atrocities and oppression” faced by Palestinians and supported “a just, comprehensive, and lasting solution” including “the creation of an independent Palestinian state with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital”.

Calling on the government to reconsider its decision, PTI urged Islamabad to withdraw from the initiative until a comprehensive consultative process was carried out. 

The party outlined three requirements for such a process, including “thorough parliamentary scrutiny and debate”, “inclusive consultation with all major political leaders, in particular former prime minister Imran Khan”, and “transparent communication with the nation through a ‘referendum’ to ensure public confidence”.

The PTI concluded by saying Pakistan must continue to act as “a responsible, principled, and peace-oriented nation” whose global engagements are “consistent with the charter of the United Nations and are based on national consensus”.

PTI Senator Ali Zafar similarly said that the government's "hasty participation" was not only "inappropriate but also beyond comprehension".

He said it was the government's responsibility to take Parliament into confidence on the important matter and inform it of all details.

"On the issue of Palestine, the position of our leader Imran Khan and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is absolutely clear and unequivocal: We will not support any agreement that violates the rights of the Palestinian people or which the Palestinian people themselves do not accept."

حکومت کی جانب سے امریکی صدر ڈونلڈ ٹرمپ کے قائم کردہ بورڈ آف پیس میں عجلت میں شمولیت نہ صرف نامناسب ہے بلکہ سمجھ سے بالاتر بھی ہے۔ اس اہم معاملے پر پارلیمنٹ کو اعتماد میں لینا اور تمام تفصیلات سے آگاہ کرنا حکومت کی ذمہ داری تھی، جو پوری نہیں کی گئی۔ فلسطین کے مسئلے پر ہمارے قائد…

— Barrister Syed Ali Zafar (@SyedAliZafar1) January 22, 2026

Govt defends decision to join ‘Board of Peace’

However, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry defended Pakistan’s decision to join the “Board of Peace”, saying the move was guided by national interest and the collective priorities of the global Muslim community, rather than political considerations.

Responding to a point of order raised by PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan, the minister said the decision was taken in the interest of the Palestinian people and reaffirmed Pakistan’s long-standing principled stance on the Palestine issue.

He said Pakistan had consistently highlighted the Palestinian cause at international forums and noted that United Nations Security Council resolutions had called for a permanent ceasefire and the reconstruction of Gaza.

“Pakistan’s participation in the Board of Peace aims to support these efforts while safeguarding both Palestinian and national interests,” he said.

The minister urged lawmakers not to turn the issue into a matter of political point-scoring, stressing the need for unity and consensus within Parliament.

Chaudhry said the situation in Palestine, particularly the atrocities committed against “innocent and defenceless civilians in Gaza”, had shaken the Islamic world and sparked protests across the globe.

He added that people belonging to different religions and schools of thought had taken to the streets in large numbers to condemn Israeli actions.

The minister said Pakistan had always raised its voice against oppression in both Palestine and Kashmir, warning that the unresolved Kashmir dispute remained a nuclear flashpoint.

Question hour in NA

Earlier during question hour, the government admitted it had violated the Constitution by failing to convene meetings of the Council of Common Interests (CCI) every 90 days, as required under Article 154. Only three meetings were held in the past two years.

Read more: Thousands displaced as Tirah crisis deepens

Lawmakers also criticised poor internet and mobile services across the country, particularly in Balochistan. The parliamentary secretary said the existing 273MHz spectrum was insufficient and that a 600MHz spectrum auction next month would double internet speed.

Seven bills, including amendments related to anti-money laundering, cybercrime, oil and gas regulation, housing, and national heritage, were introduced by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar.

Details of civil awards and associated privileges were also presented, revealing that around 1,250 individuals were honoured over the past three years for exceptional service.

Meanwhile, the NA’s YouTube livestream remained suspended for a second consecutive day, with officials citing a technical fault.

The NA session was later adjourned for an indefinite period.