JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman appears for an interview with a private digital media platform. SCREEN CAPTURE
ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan’s decision to join the Gaza Peace Board led by US President Donald Trump sparked a heated debate in the National Assembly on Thursday, with opposition parties accusing the government of bypassing parliament and questioning the credibility of a forum that includes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Lawmakers demanded disclosure of the board’s terms and greater parliamentary oversight over foreign policy decisions, while the government defended the move as being in line with United Nations resolutions and Pakistan’s long-standing support for Palestinian rights.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman criticized the government’s move, while Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders demanded that the terms of the deal be made public and confidence taken in parliament.
However, the government defended the decision as based on national interest and solidarity with the Palestinian people, saying Pakistan’s role would be aligned with United Nations resolutions on the ceasefire and reconstruction in Gaza.
Addressing the House, Maulana said several countries, including European states and France, had refused to join the Peace Board, questioning how Pakistan’s prime minister could sit “shoulder to shoulder” with Netanyahu, responsible for tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths.
He warned that “waiting for peace from Trump was tantamount to living in a fool’s paradise,” and said that Trump himself chaired the board and retained the authority to appoint or remove members at will.
He said that the same actors who had fueled the Palestinian crisis were now presenting themselves as arbiters of peace.
Recalling the historical roots of the Palestinian question, he said that the State of Israel was created under British patronage despite the League of Nations recommending against establishing Jewish settlements on that land.
“The same forces that created the problem are now judging,” he said, adding that Netanyahu, responsible for more than 70,000 Palestinian deaths during the two-year Israeli attack on Gaza, has been included in the peace forum.
He regretted that Gaza continued to be bombed even when Pakistan’s leaders joined the initiative.
The JUI-F chief also criticized foreign policy decisions influenced by international pressure, invoking Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s stance on Israel and questioning whether the current rulers reflect that legacy.
Commenting on the issues of terrorism in Pakistan, he went on to say that peace cannot be exported abroad when it is not present in the country. He alleged that armed groups effectively controlled several districts, security forces were abandoning posts and extortion was rampant in areas such as Tank, Bannu, Lakki Marwat and Dera Ismail Khan.
‘Without parliamentary consent’
Similarly, PTI Chairman Advocate Gohar Ali Khan said Palestine and Gaza were of profound importance to Pakistan, and stressed that Islamabad should only accept solutions backed by the Muslim world.
He questioned why the government had accepted the Peace Board without parliamentary approval and pointed out that a press release from the Ministry of External Affairs had announced Pakistan’s participation without any debate in the House.
He asked whether Pakistani forces were expected to play a role in disarming Hamas and stressed that since the junta was not a United Nations body, the government could not proceed unilaterally. “Before joining such a forum, it was necessary to table a resolution in parliament,” he said.
Outside the House, the PTI issued a formal statement rejecting the government’s decision, saying international decisions of such magnitude must be made transparently and through wide consultations.
The party stressed that Pakistan’s participation in peace initiatives should strengthen, not undermine, the UN multilateral system.
Reaffirming its support for Palestinian self-determination and an independent state with Al-Quds Sharif as its capital, the PTI called for Pakistan to withdraw from the Peace Board pending parliamentary scrutiny, cross-party consultations, including with party founder Imran Khan, and even a referendum to ensure public confidence.
PTI senator Ali Zafar also criticized the decision on social media, denouncing the rush as “beyond comprehension”. He said his party would not support any deal that violated Palestinian rights or went against the wishes of the Palestinian people.
‘National importance’
However, defending the government’s stand, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry told the House that Pakistan’s participation was a matter of national importance transcending politics, similar to issues like Kashmir and Palestine.
He said the Peace Board would operate in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions, focusing on the reconstruction of Gaza and a permanent ceasefire.
He stressed that Pakistan had consistently raised the Palestinian cause at the international level and that joining the junta was aimed at serving the interests of the Palestinian people and the broader Muslim community.
He assured lawmakers that parliament would be taken into confidence and urged consensus rather than “political scoring.”
