ISLAMABAD: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said that Pakistan was prepared to contribute troops to the proposed International Stabilisation Force (ISF) for Gaza, and firmly distancing itself from any role in disarming the Palestinian group Hamas.
Dar focused on that Pakistan’s participation would be limited strictly to peacekeeping duties.
“We are not ready for that. This is not our job, but of the Palestinian law enforcement agencies,” he said when asked about the ISF’s potential mandate to disarm Hamas. “Our job is peacekeeping, not peace enforcement.”
Furthermore, the ISF forms a key component of the United States-brokered Gaza Peace Agreement, recently endorsed by the UN Security Council (UNSC).
The US-drafted resolution, adopted last week with Pakistan’s support, authorises the creation of the force, to be made up largely of troops from Muslim-majority countries.
Russia and China abstained from the vote, while Hamas has rejected the proposal, denouncing any mandate that includes disarmament of Palestinian resistance groups.
In this sense, the civil and military leadership were at an “advanced stage,” and the government was expected to issue a formal announcement soon.
As per the Dar, Pakistan’s position aligns with that of other participating countries, noting that Indonesia, which has reportedly offered 20,000 troops, had also conveyed reservations about any disarmament clause. On the other hand, Dar also urged Kabul to prevent Afghan soil against Pakistan.
The foreign minister recalled that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had “in principle” supported Pakistan’s contribution, pending clarity on the ISF’s terms of reference.
Pakistan has consistently maintained at the UN that any demilitarisation process must be political and conducted under a unified Palestinian authority.
