ISLAMABAD: Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty underlined that the proposed International Stabilisation Force (ISF) for Gaza must be strictly mandated to monitor the ceasefire and secure the enclave’s borders, as he urged Pakistan to take on an expanded role in Gaza’s reconstruction and humanitarian recovery.
In this regard, “Our position on the stabilisation force is clear that its main mandate must be monitoring the ceasefire on the ground to ensure that both sides abide by their commitments, and securing the borders of Gaza,” he stated.
The visit includes consultations with Pakistani leaders on regional conflicts, including Gaza, Sudan, and the Iranian nuclear issue, as well as discussions on boosting bilateral economic cooperation.
The statements by the Egyptian FM were followed by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar’s disclosure that Pakistan had formally indicated its willingness to contribute troops to the ISF.
“We are working with various partners, including the United States, to agree on a specific mission and mandate which should be focused on peacekeeping, not peace enforcement,” he said.
“We must agree on the countries that will contribute troops, the mission, the mandate, the guarantees, and the safeguards.”
“We need everything from Pakistan not only funding, but participation from private companies in reconstruction and recovery efforts,” he said.
“We also need technical assistance and medical support. 50,000 medical cases in Gaza require urgent intervention.”
The foreign minister added that Cairo and Islamabad shared the view that the establishment of a Palestinian state remained the only path to lasting peace.
Furthermore, beyond Gaza, Abdelatty mentioned the worsening situation in Sudan, calling it “disastrous” and urging stronger international efforts to halt the conflict.
He also stressed the need for de-escalation and renewed dialogue on the Iranian nuclear file, noting that Egypt and Pakistan hold similar positions grounded in diplomacy, international law, and the UN Charter.
He said both countries should deepen cooperation across energy, textiles, agriculture, information technology, artificial intelligence, petrochemicals, counter-terrorism, migration management and defence, particularly in technology transfer and joint projects.
