PESHAWAR: Acting President and Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani emphasized on Thursday that Pakistan’s endorsement of U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace initiative was the outcome of extensive consultations with Muslim countries and was based on a collective consensus.
Addressing the media in Peshawar, Gilani clarified that Pakistan has not taken any decision unilaterally and committed that it would not do so in the future. He highlighted Pakistan’s role as a builder of consensus, stating, “We are consensus-driven,” and noted that the agreement with President Trump was not solely the decision of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif or Field Marshal Asim Munir, but rather the result of joint deliberations.
Gilani further explained that all coalition partners, including Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkey, Jordan, and the UAE, participated in formulating the agreed-upon stance. “The deputy prime minister has already provided a detailed explanation regarding this matter,” he added.He assured that during the upcoming parliamentary session, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar would brief legislators to clarify any doubts or concerns. Gilani reaffirmed that Pakistan’s position was shaped through broad-based consultation and consensus among Muslim nations.
Trump’s proposed 20-point plan advocates for a ceasefire, a prisoner exchange involving hostages held by Hamas and Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel, phased Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian territories, Hamas disarmament, and the formation of a transitional government led by an international body. While Trump stated that Pakistan’s leadership fully supports the 20-point initiative, Deputy Prime Minister Dar earlier indicated that the plan did not incorporate all of Pakistan’s suggestions. Dar also reaffirmed that Pakistan’s stance on deploying personnel to a proposed peacekeeping mission for Palestine remains unchanged, emphasizing that Pakistan has not altered its policy on the issue.
Meanwhile, opposition parties have expressed reservations regarding the government’s support for Trump’s Gaza plan and are calling for transparency and further clarification on Pakistan’s position.
