Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Saturday that Pakistan is ready to send its troops to join the international force that will be deployed to establish peace in Gaza. However, he made it clear that Pakistan “will not become part of any effort to disarm Hamas or weaken the Palestinian resistance structure.”
The most important component of the Gaza peace agreement, brokered by the United State, is the creation of the International Stabilization Force (ISF), which will primarily consist of troops from Muslim-majority countries.
The purpose of this force is to consolidate the ceasefire, ensure the effective delivery of humanitarian assistance, and help stabilize Gaza’s administrative framework in the immediate term.
Regarding this, Pakistan’s Foreign Office has already stated that “Pakistan is also evaluating the possibility of joining this force; however, matters are still at an initial stage and much remains to be finalized.”
Meanwhile, earlier this month, Pakistan Army spokesperson Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif said during a briefing that “whether Pakistani forces will go to Gaza or not is not our decision; deploying troops to Palestine is a matter for the government and parliament to decide.”
Speaking to the media in Islamabad on Saturday, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also addressed the issue, saying: “Indonesia had also indicated willingness to send its troops to Gaza, and Pakistan too had expressed its readiness.”
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar added: “Then a rumor emerged that the International Stabilization Force would disarm Hamas. We are not prepared for that. That is not our job, this is the responsibility of Palestinian law-enforcement institutions.”
He said: “Our job is to maintain peace, not to enforce peace.”
He further stated: “After consultation with the Field Marshal, the Prime Minister has, in principle, announced that we will contribute troops. But until the Terms of Reference (ToRs) and the mandate are finalized, even this decision cannot be considered final.”
While speaking to the media, Ishaq Dar responded to a question about relations with Afghanistan and said: “It is their misconception that things cannot be fixed. We can take military action, but it is also not appropriate to enter a brother’s home, go inside, and strike to remove these elements. Removing them is not an issue. If we can teach India a lesson, then this is no problem at all.”
He further said: “The time is not far when Muslims and non-Muslims will unite to end terrorism.”
Regarding militant groups present in Afghanistan, he said: “I had told Afghanistan’s leadership that if you do not resolve this issue, these groups will become a problem for you as well, and that time is not far. They should now change their policy.”
He added: “I sincerely made three trips to Afghanistan and tried to improve relations because Afghanistan is our neighbor and a Muslim country. But when the funerals of our martyrs are being carried, how can we keep our eyes closed?”
Ishaq Dar further said: “That night, a cleanup operation was about to take place that would have taught them a lesson, but it was halted. But nothing came out of the talks held in Qatar.”
“Then several rounds of talks in Istanbul also yielded nothing. The time is not far when Muslims and non-Muslims will unite against this terrorism. Would it not be better if we cleanse this region of terrorism before that time arrives?”
