Minister of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal. PHOTO: APP
ISLAMABAD:
On Friday, the government stood by its decision to join the US-led Peace Board, selling Pakistan’s participation as a diplomatic opening in Gaza as controversy around the move refused to subside and spilled into parliament once again.
Opposition parties questioned both the credibility of the forum and the process by which Islamabad signed.
In a joint session, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal defended Pakistan’s presence “on center stage” alongside brotherly Muslim countries, saying it was a “diplomatic victory.”
The minister explained that staying away would have left Islamabad sidelined at a critical time for the Palestinian cause.
He maintained that Pakistan had a long history of making independent foreign policy decisions and insisted that joining the Peace Board did not compromise national sovereignty or cross any red lines in fundamental principles.
However, the government’s defense did little to calm tempers between both parties. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman flatly rejected the forum, denouncing it as an instrument of coercion instead of peace and warning that participation under its current framework would amount to submission instead of diplomacy.
Speaking in the House, Ahsan Iqbal recalled that Pakistan withstood intense international pressure even at decisive moments in its history. He said that when the United States made repeated calls to stop Pakistan’s nuclear tests, the country preferred sovereignty over submission.
“We are the guardians of Pakistan’s security and independence,” he said, adding that no one can accuse the government of cowardice or negligence. “If anyone gives Pakistan an evil eye, we will remove them,” he said.
Iqbal acknowledged the deep anguish caused by the devastation in Gaza and said Pakistanis’ hearts were “broken” by the suffering of Palestinians. He argued that if Pakistan had stayed away from the forum, critics would have accused it of abandoning Gaza.
“By supporting brotherly 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.
“Aren’t these countries Muslim? Aren’t they friends of Pakistan?” asked.
‘Peace under threat’
Addressing the joint session, the JUI-F chief further said that if Nawaz Sharif and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wanted to accept “slavery”, they were free to do so, but their party was not.
“If I could take on General Pervez Musharraf, I can also take on them,” he said, adding that “keeping 250 million people is not acceptable.”
He questioned why Pakistan joined the forum when its fundamental points had already been modified. He accused Trump of strengthening Israel’s aggression and openly threatening Hamas.
“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 conflicts.
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 in sitting down with Israel on the basis that it was present at the United Nations, and asked why Pakistani passports still prohibited travel to Israel if such a commitment was justified.
The Maulana also criticized the prime minister for not trusting parliament or even the cabinet before joining the junta and questioned whether the government had signed the letter without reading it in its entirety.
He recalled that even the foreign minister had admitted that Trump’s initial points were not the same as those finally agreed upon.
The head of the JUI-F warned that disarming Hamas would be tantamount to dismantling the Palestinian resistance.
“The Palestinians are fighting a war of liberation,” he said, accusing the Muslim world of promoting Trump’s agenda in the name of peace. He urged the House to reject the Peace Board under its current terms, asking parliament to pass a resolution against it.
Leader of the opposition in the Senate, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, also criticized Pakistan’s involvement and said the world was going through a delicate time.
He said the people of Gaza 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 by force is now being attempted through the so-called peace board,” he said.
He noted that Palestinians had no representation on the board and said Pakistan’s honor would be enhanced if Netanyahu was openly declared a terrorist.
“We don’t even know what the objectives of this junta are,” he said, adding that it should be called an “occupation junta” instead of a peace initiative.
He urged the House to pass a resolution against him, calling the issue one of national dignity, honor and conscience.
Outside parliament, the Maulana reiterated his stance while speaking to reporters, saying that Muslim countries were facilitating Israel under pressure from the United States.
“It’s 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 the occupation.
During his speech, Fazl also criticized recent legislation, particularly those 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 solemnizing marriages below the stipulated age.
“Either honor the oath taken in the name of the Islamic Republic or eliminate the word ‘Islamic’,” he said, challenging the state to act against him.
