ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, said on Friday that United States President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan was not in line with a draft proposed by a group of Muslim countries.
Trump presented the peace plan for Gaza and the Middle East during his meeting with leaders of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Indonesia, Turkiye, Qatar, Egypt and Jordan last month on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session.
The meeting came in the backdrop of Israel’s ramping up of its military operations in Gaza, where it has killed over 65,000 people since October 2023, as well as Israeli attacks against other regional states, with Muslim nations demanding the world hold Tel Aviv accountable.
While Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif this week voiced his support for Trump’s roadmap, Dar told parliament on Friday that changes were made to the draft presented to the US officials by the eight Muslim nations, following consultations among them.
“I have made it clear that these 20 points which Trump has made public are not ours. These are not the same as ours. I say that some changes have been made in it, in the draft we had,” he said.
On Monday, Trump published the plan to end Israel’s nearly two-year war on Gaza, which has killed more than 65,000 Palestinians. It calls for a ceasefire, an exchange of hostages and prisoners, a staged Israeli withdrawal, Hamas disarmament and Gaza’s reconstruction with international support.
“I welcome President Trump’s 20-point plan to ensure an end to the war in Gaza. I am also convinced that durable peace between the Palestinian people and Israel would be essential in bringing political stability and economic growth to the region,” Pakistan PM Sharif said in an X post on Sept. 29.
“It is also my firm belief that President Trump is fully prepared to assist in whatever way necessary to make this extremely important and urgent understanding to become a reality.”
Dar this week said the Pakistani leadership would decide whether to contribute troops to a special peacekeeping force in Gaza proposed under Trump’s peace plan.
“Gaza peace plan envisaged deploying a peace force in Palestine,” Dar said during a media briefing on Tuesday.
“Pakistani leadership will decide on sending troops for the special peacekeeping force in Gaza, as Indonesia has announced the deployment of 20,000 troops for the purpose.”
However, his latest comments about the peace plan not being in line with the draft presented by the eight Muslim states has raised questions about Islamabad’s position on the roadmap.
In his Sept. 29 post on X, Sharif had also lauded Trump’s leadership and the “vital role” played by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in trying to bring an end to Israel’s war on Gaza.
“I also strongly believe that the implementation of the two-state proposal is essential to ensure lasting peace in the region,” he had said.
