Weeks after committing to deploy its troops to Gaza as part of US President Donald Trump’s International Stabilisation Force (ISF), Pakistan has set some conditions before the first formal meeting for the Board of Peace for the war-torn Palestinian enclave, including hefty privileges and additional guarantees from the United States.
Sources toldCNN-News18that Pakistan’s Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir discussed the deployment of troops with all stakeholders. Munir held consecutive meetings with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Munich, Saudi Defence Minister in Riyadh, and UAE’s National Security Adviser in Abu Dhabi over the last two days.
READ MORE:Trump’s Board Of Peace Pledges $5 Billion For Gaza Reconstruction, Calls For Hamas To Disarm
What Are Pakistan’s Conditions?
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Asim Munir are expected to brief US officials on internal challenges in Pakistan to deploy troops in Gaza and are likely to seek more time before the deployment, according to sources. Pakistan has a comprehensive “game-changer" agenda for Sharif and Munir’s upcoming visit to the US, the sources informed.
The move comes with several challenges, as public sentiment in Pakistan has hardened during the Gaza war and long-standing positions on Israel remain deeply rooted. If Islamabad agrees to send troops, it risks domestic unrest, criticism from political rivals, mobilisation by Islamist groups and reactions from states that have taken positions sympathetic to Hamas.
Earlier, sources toldCNN-News18thatPakistan is seeking a leadership rolein the proposed stabilisation force and has conveyed its willingness to participate under a set of political, military and economic conditions.
Meanwhile, Israel has firmly rejected any role for the Pakistan Army in rehabilitation efforts in Gaza, citing deep concerns over alleged links between Hamas and Pakistan-based terror groups. Israel’s Ambassador to India,Reuven Azar, said the country was “not comfortable" with Pakistani military participation in any future Gaza security arrangement.
Source: World News in news18.com, World Latest News, World News
