Pakistan has joined a group of eight Muslim nations that have agreed to participate in US President Donald Trump’s proposed Board of Peace, an initiative formally launched this week on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos. The decision followed a joint statement issued on Wednesday in Amman by the foreign ministers of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Qatar, Egypt, the UAE, Indonesia, and Pakistan, confirming their shared intent to engage with the new framework.

The stated objectives are familiar and appealing: consolidating the Gaza ceasefire, supporting reconstruction, and advancing a political process leading to Palestinian self-determination. Yet the circumstances surrounding the launch demand caution. Gaza remains fragile, Israel continues to test the limits of the ceasefire, and the Board’s mandate is expanding well beyond its original remit. At the same time, the initiative raises broader questions about its relationship with the UN-led system that has underpinned international peace and security since 1945.

Pakistan’s decision reflects confidence and rising diplomatic relevance. It also opens the door to risks that cannot be ignored.

The Board of Peace emerged from President Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan, which was unveiled last October at Sharm el-Sheikh and subsequently endorsed by the UN Security Council, enabling the first phase of the ceasefire. Egypt played a central role in facilitating Hamas’s acceptance. However, Israel has since violated the spirit of the ceasefire through restrictions on humanitarian access, military actions inside Gaza, and intensified pressure in the West Bank.

With Washington now announcing the transition to a second phase, new institutional arrangements have taken shape. These include a Founding Executive Board dominated by US officials and close Trump associates, a Gaza Executive Board tasked with overseeing day-to-day governance, and a proposed International Stabilisation Force (ISF). The legal authority, mandate and rules of engagement of this force remain unclear. Hamas has not accepted disarmament, while Israel continues to obstruct Palestinian administrative mechanisms.

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Moreover, what was initially presented as a Gaza-specific mechanism is now being framed as a broader instrument for addressing global conflicts.

Pakistan’s Calculus

Pakistan is not acting alone. Dozens of countries (59, claims Trump) have been invited to join the Board, including Saudi Arabia, China, and Türkiye—Pakistan’s core strategic allies.........

© The Friday Times