PM Shehbaz to attend inaugural Board of Peace Meeting in US, FO confirms

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will attend the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace in the United States next week, Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Tahir Andrabi confirmed on Thursday.

Addressing the weekly media briefing, Andrabi said the prime minister would lead Pakistan’s delegation to the meeting scheduled for February 19 at the US Institute of Peace in Washington. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will accompany him.

“I can confirm that the prime minister will attend the upcoming Board of Peace meeting. He will be accompanied by the deputy prime minister and foreign minister,” the FO spokesperson said.

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He added that further details regarding the composition of the delegation and the prime minister’s engagements during the visit would be shared in due course.

When asked whether Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir would be part of the delegation, Andrabi said he did not have details on the itinerary or the full composition of the delegation at this stage.

Pakistan is among 14 countries that signed the charter of the Board of Peace on January 22 on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, becoming a founding member of the body.

The board was proposed in September 2025 and formally established last month. Under its charter, the US government serves as the official depository, while President Donald Trump has designated the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace in Washington as its headquarters.

A UN Security Council resolution adopted in mid-November 2025 authorised the board, along with cooperating states, to establish an international stabilisation force in Gaza following a ceasefire that began in October under a Trump-backed plan accepted by Israel and Hamas.

However, the ceasefire has remained fragile amid repeated violations.

The Board of Peace was initially envisioned to oversee Gaza’s temporary governance after the ceasefire before its mandate was expanded to address broader global conflicts.

The initiative has drawn criticism from some rights experts and scholars, who argue that a US-led body overseeing a foreign territory raises concerns about sovereignty and the absence of Palestinian representation.

READ MORE: Trump-led ‘Board of Peace’: Pakistan among founding members

Responding to a question about the lack of Gaza’s representation and concerns over US support for Israel, Andrabi said Pakistan had joined the board “in good faith” and not in isolation.

“We have not joined as one voice, but as a collective voice of eight Islamic-Arab countries that worked with President Trump on his Gaza plan,” he said.

He reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to advocating for the rights and long-term solution of the Palestinian issue, including the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders with Al Quds Al Sharif as its capital.

“Our engagement is aimed at short-term, medium-term and long-term solutions for the plight of the Palestinian people,” he added.

On whether Israel’s participation in the board would affect Pakistan’s stance, the FO spokesperson said it was Israel’s decision to join and Pakistan would engage with the board “with positivity of intent.”

Trump remarks on 2025 conflict

During the briefing, Andrabi was also asked to comment on US President Trump’s recent remarks that 10 aircraft were shot down during the four-day conflict between India and Pakistan in May 2025.

He said Pakistan appreciated the role of the United States during the “90-hour war” in helping prevent further escalation.

“As regards the fighter planes, this is a matter of history,” Andrabi said, reiterating that Pakistan had shot down “a number of Indian Rafale jets.”

He claimed that evidence was available internationally and that the episode demonstrated Pakistan’s ability to deter aggression through conventional means. “Any future Indian aggression would be dealt with forthrightly and forcefully,” he added.

‘Weaponisation of cricket regrettable’

On a separate question regarding Pakistan’s decision to play the T20 World Cup match against India after initially announcing a boycott, Andrabi said politicising sports was unfortunate.

“Cricket is a game that we all love and cherish. Weaponisation and politicisation of cricket is regrettable,” he said.