Pakistan joins Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, others in accepting Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ invite

A general view shows tents housing displaced people in Gaza City on January 20, 2026. (AFP)
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Updated 21 January 2026
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Pakistan joins Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, others in accepting Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ invite

  • Pakistan’s foreign office hopes board’s efforts lead to permanent ceasefire in Gaza, independent Palestinian state
  • UAE, Indonesia, Egypt, Jordan and others have also accepted Trump’s invitation to join body that aims to resolve conflicts

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and seven other Muslim states announced in a joint statement on Wednesday that they had accepted US President Donald Trump’s invitation to become a part of the Board of Peace (BoP) body that aims to resolve conflicts, hoping for permanent ceasefire in Gaza. 

The White House last week announced the names of some members of the BoP to restore peace in conflict-ridden areas including Gaza, where a fragile ceasefire has been in place since October 2025. Chaired by Trump, the board would include US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, former British prime minister Tony Blair and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. 

Other countries that have previously joined the BoP include the UAE, Egypt, Bahrain, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Morocco and Vietnam. Israel announced on Wednesday its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will also be a member of the board.

“The Ministers announce their countries’ shared decision to join the Board of Peace,” a joint statement by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Türkiye, Indonesia, Egypt and the UAE read.

“Each country will sign the joining documents according to its respective relevant legal and other necessary procedures, including Egypt, Pakistan and the UAE, that have already announced to join.”

The statement expressed support for implementing the board’s mission, aimed at consolidating a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and its reconstruction.

It also hoped the board would ensure lasting peace in the Middle East by granting Palestinians the right to an independent state as per the principles of international law.

Pakistan’s foreign office in an earlier statement had announced that Islamabad had accepted Trump’s invitation to join the global body. 

The foreign office said Pakistan hoped concrete steps will be taken toward the implementation of a permanent ceasefire, further scaling up of humanitarian aid for the Palestinians as well as reconstruction of Gaza with the creation of the board.

Pakistan has consistently supported the demand for Palestinian statehood under UN resolutions and has publicly criticized Israeli military operations in Gaza, while also opposing broader regional escalations, including attacks on Iran.

According to the BoP’s charter seen by international wire agency AFP, the board is “an international organization that seeks to promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict.”

As chairman of the BoP, Trump has the power to pick members of an executive board to be “leaders of global stature” to “serve two-year terms, subject to removal by the chairman,” the board’s charter as seen by AFP reads.


Pakistan says defense pact with Saudi Arabia elevated brotherly ties to ‘new heights’

Updated 25 February 2026
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Pakistan says defense pact with Saudi Arabia elevated brotherly ties to ‘new heights’

  • Pakistan, Saudi Arabia signed strategic defense pact last year pledging aggression against one will be treated as attack on both
  • Deputy PM Ishaq Dar says enduring bonds with Islamic and Arab nations form vital pillar of Pakistan’s foreign policy 

ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar said on Wednesday that Pakistan’s defense pact with Saudi Arabia elevated its brotherly ties with the Kingdom to “new heights,” stressing that close ties with Arab and Islamic nations form a key pillar of Islamabad’s foreign policy. 

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed a Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement on Sept. 17 last year, pledging that aggression against one country would be treated as an attack on both, enhancing joint deterrence and formalizing decades of military and security cooperation.

Both nations agreed in October 2025 to launch an economic cooperation framework to strengthen trade and investment ties. 

“In the Middle East, our landmark Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement with Saudi Arabia has elevated our brotherly ties to new heights,” Dar said while speaking at the Pakistan Governance Forum 2026 event in Islamabad. 

The Pakistani deputy prime minister was speaking on the topic “Navigating International Relations Amidst Changing Geo-Politics.”

Dar noted that Pakistan has reinforced partnerships with other Middle Eastern nations such as the UAE, Qatar, Jordan, Oman, Egypt and Bahrain. He said these partnerships have yielded “concrete agreements” in investment, agriculture, infrastructure, and energy sectors. 

“Our enduring bonds with Islamic and Arab nations form a vital pillar of our foreign policy, and we will continue to expand our partnerships across Asia, Latin America, and Africa,” he said. 

Dar pointed out that the presidents of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan have undertaken visits to Pakistan in recent months, reflecting Central Asian nations’ desire to boost cooperation with Islamabad.

On South Asia, the Pakistani deputy PM said Pakistan has successfully transformed its fraternal ties with Bangladesh into “a substantive partnership.”

“Similarly, the trilateral mechanism involving China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh has been launched with a view to expanding and deepening regional cooperation and synergy,” the Pakistani minister said. 

He said Islamabad has strengthened its “all-weather” partnership with China via the second phase of the multi-billion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor agreement and “unwavering support” from both sides for each other’s core interests. 

Dar said Pakistan had also reinvigorated its partnership with the US, advancing cooperation in trade, technology, investment, and regional stability. 

“This calibrated approach has enhanced our ability to navigate complexity with skill and confidence, ensuring that our national interests are served without compromising our core foreign policy principles,” he said.