ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, said on Saturday that his country is willing to join the Gaza peace force but it is “not ready” to play any role in disarming Palestinian group Hamas.
The International Stabilization Force (ISF), which is to be composed of troops from Muslim countries, is a cornerstone of President Donald Trump’s peace plan for Gaza announced on Sept. 29 this year.
The United Nations Security Council this month approved Washington’s plan, which called for a yet-to-be-established Board of Peace as a transitional authority that Trump would head, and the ISF, which would be empowered to oversee borders, provide security and demilitarize the territory.
Pakistan voted in favor of the UNSC resolution, with its UN ambassador calling for the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the area and reiterating support for Palestinians’ right to self-determination.
“So, we are definitely ready to contribute our force, the prime minister [of Pakistan] has made this principled announcement after consulting the field marshal,” Dar told reporters at a presser in Islamabad.
