ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will decide “in due course” whether to contribute troops to the proposed international stabilization force for Gaza, with the foreign office saying on Friday the decision on the subject would be taken by the national parliament.
The proposed force is expected to be a multinational security deployment aimed at supporting the post-conflict ceasefire, assisting reconstruction and overseeing a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip. It was introduced as part of the Gaza peace framework developed by the United States administration which also consulted various Muslim-majority states.
Responding to a question about Pakistan’s potential troop contribution, foreign office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said the matter was still under consideration and would be decided after consultation at the highest level.
“You asked me about the Gaza stabilization process,” he said. “The decision will be taken in due course, as and when required. Certain level of leadership has stated that the decision will be taken with the advice of the government. That is also a fact.”
PAK-AFGHAN BORDER
The spokesperson also said the border crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan cannot be opened for trade without evaluating the security situation.
Referring to a fresh border clash in Chaman, Balochistan, earlier in the day, Andrabi warned that unprovoked attacks were undermining efforts to reopen the border crossings between the two countries.
“These are the kinds of incidents which are stopping the opening of borders,” he said. “If with closed borders, at the crossings or around the crossings, we face this kind of unprovoked attacks, then obviously the security situation warrants that these border openings are kept closed.”
“As I said last week also, the opening of borders will depend on the evaluation of the security,” he added. “So obviously, today’s incident ... does not contribute any positive assessment to the evaluation of borders that would lead to the opening of these border crossings.”
The spokesperson confirmed the issue would be discussed in Istanbul where the two countries are holding peace talks to finalize details of an Oct. 19 ceasefire that was reached in Doha following some of the worst border clashes in decades.
INDO-US RELATIONS
Asked about the regional diplomatic situation, Andrabi appreciated US President Donald Trump’s “positive role” in defusing tensions, especially during the “90-hour war” in May with India, before a US-brokered ceasefire was announced.
“President Trump has played a positive role in this conflict, particularly in its aftermath, when India asked, requested the US side to end this conflict,” he said. “The role of the president, the US president, was positive. And we hope that it would remain positive in the future also, because the warmongering from India continues.”
He added that some Indian political figures had become “serial war-mongers,” emphasizing the need for restraint and responsible leadership in the region.
Responding to a question about recent interactions between Washington and New Delhi, the spokesperson stressed Pakistan’s engagements with the US were not tied to US-India relations.
“The relations between India and the United States are between the two sovereign countries, so we do not have any particular position on that.
When it comes to Pakistan-US relations, we follow an independent course, not anchored or not dependent on the third country,” he added.
