Govt sells Gaza board entry as diplomacy

ISLAMABAD:

The government on Friday stood by its decision to join the US-led Board of Peace, selling Pakistan's participation as a diplomatic opening on Gaza as the controversy around the move refused to die down and spilled onto the floor of parliament once again.

The opposition parties called into question both the forum's credibility and the process through which Islamabad signed on.

Addressing a joint sitting, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal defended Pakistan's presence "at the centre stage" alongside brotherly Muslim countries, asserting that it was a "diplomatic win".

The minister explained that staying away would have left Islamabad out in the cold at a critical moment for the Palestinian cause.

He maintained that Pakistan had a long track record of independent foreign policy decision-making and insisted that joining the Board of Peace neither compromised national sovereignty nor crossed any red lines on core principles.

However, the government's defence did little to cool tempers across the aisle. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman rejected the forum outright, denouncing it as an instrument of coercion rather than peace and warning that participation under its current framework would amount to submission rather than diplomacy.

Speaking on the floor of the House, Ahsan Iqbal recalled that Pakistan resisted intense international pressure even at defining moments of its history. He said that when the United States made repeated calls to halt Pakistan's nuclear tests, the country chose sovereignty over submission.

"We are the guardians of Pakistan's security and independence," he said, adding that no one could accuse the government of cowardice or negligence. "If anyone casts an evil eye on Pakistan, we will pluck it out," he said.

Iqbal acknowledged the deep anguish caused by the devastation in Gaza, saying Pakistani hearts were "torn apart" by the suffering of Palestinians. He argued that had Pakistan stayed away from the forum, critics would have accused it of abandoning Gaza.

"By standing with brother Muslim countries, Pakistan can contribute to peace efforts," he said, naming Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates as Muslim allies participating in the initiative.

"Are these not Muslim countries? Are these not Pakistan's friends?" he asked.

'Peace under threat'

Addressing the joint session, the JUI-F chief further said if Nawaz Sharif and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wished to accept "slavery," they were free to do so, but his party would not.

"If I could stand up against General Pervez Musharraf, I can stand up against them as well," he said, adding that "herding 250 million people is not acceptable."

He questioned why Pakistan joined the forum when its foundational points had already been altered. He accused Trump of strengthening Israel's aggression and threatening Hamas openly.

"This is a forum that begins with threats," he said, recalling the destruction of Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya. He warned that after Israel's actions against Iran, the region, including Pakistan, could be drawn into future conflict.

Fazl said Pakistan was rushing to appease "an idol in the form of Donald Trump," arguing that the United States had failed Pakistan in the past and would do so again.

He questioned the government's logic of sitting with Israel on the grounds that it was present at the United Nations, asking why Pakistani passports still prohibited travel to Israel if such engagement was justified.

The Maulana also slammed the prime minister for not taking parliament or even the cabinet into confidence before joining the board and questioned whether the government had signed the charter without fully reading it.

He recalled that even the foreign minister had admitted that Trump's initial points were not the same as those ultimately agreed upon.

The JUI-F chief warned that disarming Hamas would amount to dismantling Palestinian resistance.

"The Palestinians are fighting a war of liberation," he said, accusing the Muslim world of advancing Trump's agenda under the name of peace. He urged the House to reject the Board of Peace under its current terms, calling on parliament to pass a resolution against it.

Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Allama Raja Nasir Abbas also blasted Pakistan's participation, saying the world was passing through a sensitive moment.

He said Gaza's people were fighting for freedom and noted that the International Court of Justice had declared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a terrorist. "What Netanyahu could not achieve through force is now being attempted through the so-called peace board," he said.

He pointed out that Palestinians had no representation on the board and said Pakistan's honour would be enhanced by openly declaring Netanyahu a terrorist.

"We do not even know what the points of this board are," he said, adding that it should be called an "occupation board" rather than a peace initiative.

He urged the House to pass a resolution against it, calling the issue one of national dignity, honour and conscience.

Outside parliament, the Maulana reiterated his stance while speaking to journalists, saying Muslim countries were facilitating Israel under US pressure.

"It is called peace, but the threats that accompany it reveal the true intentions," he said, adding that disarming Hamas would mean stripping Palestinians of their right to resist occupation.

During his speech, Fazl also slammed recent legislation, particularly laws related to underage marriage, declaring them un-Islamic.

He said such laws should have been referred to the Council of Islamic Ideology and warned that he would openly defy them, including by solemnising marriages below the stipulated age.

"Either honour the oath taken in the name of the Islamic Republic, or remove the word 'Islamic'," he said, challenging the state to act against him.