Pakistan’s recent handling of the Gaza crisis, particularly its decision to join the proposed Gaza Board of Peace, reflects a careful, calibrated diplomatic strategy that deserves closer attention. In a region and a domestic environment where emotions on Palestine run high, Islamabad has chosen to tread a narrow path: engaged but cautious, principled yet pragmatic.

At a time when many countries are being pushed to take rigidly defined positions, Pakistan has instead opted for strategic balance. This is not fence-sitting but carefully measured diplomacy and statecraft.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s remarks at the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace on 19 February in Washington were notable not just for what they said, but for how they said it. His praise of the meeting’s host, US President Donald Trump, was a smart and calculated move. It acknowledged Washington’s, and in particular Trump’s, central role in shaping any potential ceasefire or post-war arrangement in Gaza without appearing submissive or compromising Pakistan’s longstanding position on Palestine.

It also acknowledged the role he had, and which he has repeated several dozen times publicly since the conflict between Pakistan and India, initiating a ceasefire between the two neighbours in May 2025.

Foreign policy often requires an ability to speak in two registers at once: reassurance for global power centres and clarity for domestic constituencies. The prime minister’s approach managed both. By acknowledging American leadership while simultaneously outlining Pakistan’s core principles, Islamabad signalled that it is willing to be part of serious discussions, but not at the expense of its stated commitments.

And those commitments were laid out clearly.

Pakistan’s position remains consistent with its historic stance. First and foremost, Islamabad has called for a permanent ceasefire, not a temporary pause, not a tactical lull, but an end to sustained hostilities. In doing so, Pakistan aligns........

© The Friday Times