Govt calls Gaza peace board role a win as opposition questions mandate

Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal defended Pakistan’s decision to join US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace on Gaza, calling it a diplomatic gain and arguing the move strengthens Pakistan’s voice at a critical moment.

Speaking during a joint session of parliament, Iqbal said Pakistan should not be lectured on national security and rejected accusations that the government acted timidly or carelessly. He maintained the decision was aimed at supporting efforts to halt violence against Palestinians and insisted Pakistan’s position on Israel has not shifted.

He said Pakistan continues to view Israel as an aggressor and reiterated support for an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders. Iqbal also argued that if Pakistan had stayed away, critics would have portrayed the country as isolated.

He referenced the launch of the Board of Peace at Davos, where leaders and senior officials from 19 countries signed the founding charter. He said Pakistan received an invitation and accepted it, describing participation as a calculated step to secure an “important role” rather than remaining on the sidelines.

Opposition parties, however, protested in the same session, saying the government joined without building national consensus or sharing the forum’s terms with lawmakers. Senate opposition leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas questioned the board’s purpose and warned it could advance agendas under the label of peace.

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman also criticised the decision, saying the initiative began with threats rather than reassurance and alleging the prime minister did not take parliament or the cabinet into confidence.

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