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Pakistan PM Sharif faces fire at home over his big Davos move for Trump: 'Joining US-led Gaza board morally incorrect'
While the Trump administration invited around 60 countries, including major powers like India and China, fewer than 20 ultimately participated in Davos launch
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif joined a group of world leaders in Davos, Switzerland, to sign the charter for US President Donald Trump's ‘Board of Peace’ for Gaza, and touted it as a significant diplomatic move.
But the signing, on the margins of the World Economic Forum, triggered a fierce political firestorm back in Islamabad, with opposition parties labeling Sharif's move as non-transparent and “morally indefensible”.
Also read | From Lahore wedding to Davos move, why Sharifs are facing flak at home
The Board of Peace was formally unveiled by Trump as part of the second phase of his 20-point plan aimed at ending the Gaza conflict. Reports say the board is further intended to serve as a new international mechanism for resolving global conflicts, with a mandate encompassing governance capacity-building, reconstruction, investment attraction, and large-scale funding mobilisation, beyond Gaza too. This is being seen by many countries as a move to supplant the United Nations.
Pak Oppn demands referendum
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the party of jailed former PM Imran Khan, led the charge against the government’s decision. In a stern statement, the party announced it does not accept the decision to join the Board of Peace, arguing that matters of such international significance require “full transparency and inclusive consultation with all major political stakeholders”.
Its leaders emphasised that any participation in international peace initiatives should complement and reinforce the United Nations’ multilateral system rather than creating “parallel structures” that could “complicate global governance”.
Imran's party wants the government to withdraw formal participation until a complete consultative process — subject to Pakistan parliament's scrutiny and involving Imran Khan — is conducted.
It even wants a national referendum on the decision.
While expressing support for the Palestinian people, PTI clarified it would not accept any plans that go against the wishes of the people of Gaza or Palestine as a whole.
Adding to the pressure on Sharif, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, chief of the Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) and Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, denounced the move as “morally incorrect and indefensible”.
The criticism came while Trump used the platform to issue stark ultimatums, stating that Palestinian militant group Hamas must disarm or face “elimination”.
Questions hang over ‘Board of Peace’
The peace board initiative itself has faced scrutiny.
While the Trump administration invited around 60 countries, including major powers like India and China, fewer than 20 ultimately participated in the Davos launch.
Those who did sign on are joining a body where permanent membership reportedly carries a $1 billion price tag.
In October, Israel and Hamas agreed to Trump's peace plan.
The board is being projected by Washington as a new international body to usher in peace and stability in Gaza and beyond, triggering speculations that it may respond to other global conflicts as well.
The countries that have accepted Trump's invitation to join the board are Argentina, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Bulgaria, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Morocco, Mongolia, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.
(inputs from PTI and Reuters)
