Pakistan snubs public sentiment, joins Trump's Gaza peace board: Why it's 'unwise' but not surprising

• Pakistan agrees to join Trump's Gaza Board of Peace despite domestic criticism
• $1B needed for board membership, sparking influence concerns
• Critics fear the board may undermine UN and resemble a colonial arrangement

Did our AI summary help?

Pakistan on Wednesday agreed to join the Gaza "Board of Peace" proposed by US President Donald Trump despite widespread criticism at home.

A statement by the Pakistani Foreign Office said that PM Shehbaz Sharif has accepted Trump's invite to join the board as part of the ongoing efforts to support the implementation of the Gaza Peace Plan under the United Nations framework.

The decision comes days after the Trump administration sent invites to several world leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to join the body. Trump said it would oversee the "governance capacity-building, regional relations, reconstruction, investment attraction, large-scale funding, and capital mobilisation" in the region.

However, Pakistan's decision comes amid stiff resistence at home, with critics raising concerns over Trump directly overseeing the governance of Gaza, adding that it resembles a "colonial arrangement".

They also raised concerns over the "pay-to-play structure" of the board, saying that financial contributions appear to translate into influence, undermining principles of equitable multilateralism, Dawn reported.

According to the proposal, Trump has sought memberships from nearly 60 nations and the draft charter cited by Reuters mentions that they have to pay $1 billion to secure permanent membership of the board.

Michael Kugelman, Director of the US-based South Asia Institute at the Wilson Centre, decoded Pakistan's decision to join the board in a post on X.

Kugelman said that the decision itself is not "surprising" since Pakistan is looking to bolster is influence in the Middle East and wants to strengthen its ties with Trump.

"Pakistan’s decision to join Trump’s Board of Peace isn’t surprising. It wants to bolster its global influence (esp in Mideast) & it’s keen to further strengthen ties w/Trump. Much of the Pak public may reject an initiative endorsed by Israel, but that won’t deter those in power," he said.

Kugelman added that while countries like India may decline the invite due to the "colonial undertones" of the Gaza board, Pakistan will not be deterred by these concerns.

"Additionally, considerations that may prompt other countries (perhaps including India) to decline Trump’s invite-fears of the Board’s colonial undertones, concerns it could undercut the UN-don’t weigh as heavily in Pakistan’s calculus," he said.

Political parties like Jamaat-e-Islami warned against Pakistan's hasty involvement while former senator Mustafa Khokhar decried the lack of parliamentary debate, labeling the board a "colonial enterprise" granting Trump unchecked powers.

Critics like former ambassador Maleeha Lodhi also described the decision as "unwise", arguing it legitimses unilateral US actions over UN frameworks.

However, Pakistan's decision signals its intent to please Trump, which has defined much of its foreign policy over the last year.

Since Operation Sindoor, Pakistan has doubled down its efforts to strengthen its ties with the Trump administration, spending millions of dollars in lobbying efforts. From endorsing Trump for a Nobel peace prize to aggressive cryptocurrency diplomacy to effusive public statements, Pakistani leaders have left no stone unturned to catch Trump's attention and strengthen its global influence.

However, criticism looms large over Pakistan's latest decision, especially due to the US-leaning framework of the peace board.

According to a Dawn report, the decision comes amid growing international concern that the scope of the board may also expanded beyond Gaza.

The report said that it can turn into a parallel mechanism which can dilute the role of the United Nations in conflict resolution.

However, Pakistan's expedient diplomacy has ignored concerns over the straining of multilateral systems, so long as it pleases Trump.