Islamabad (Web Desk): Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has said that the decision to send Pakistani troops to Palestine under a proposed peace plan will be taken by the country’s top civil and military leadership.
Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, he clarified that while Pakistan has submitted suggestions on the draft peace plan, its core elements remain unchanged.
According to Dar, the draft circulated by the United States did not initially include Pakistan’s amendments, but Islamabad submitted its recommendations without disrupting the fundamental structure of the proposal. These suggestions were later shared with Saudi Arabia and other key nations involved in the process.
Highlighting regional cooperation, the Foreign Minister revealed that Indonesia has offered to deploy 20,000 troops as part of the peacekeeping mission in Palestine, and expressed hope that Pakistan would make a decision on its contribution soon.
“Some people are unjustly criticizing the peace plan,” Dar said. “Do they want the bloodshed to continue in Gaza? Should we just stand by and watch innocent children die?”
He urged that politics should be kept away from such a critical humanitarian crisis. “This is a time for unity within the Muslim Ummah and for shaking the conscience of the world,” he stated.
Dar also shared that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had raised the issue of Palestine emphatically during the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, drawing appreciation from Palestine, Türkiye, and other Muslim countries.
Furthermore, he disclosed that classified meetings were held on the sidelines of the UNGA session between U.S. President Donald Trump and leaders of several Muslim nations. These meetings were kept strictly confidential, with communication conducted via hard copies and no digital documents used.
Pakistan, along with seven other countries, prepared two versions of the peace plan. One of these drafts was finalized and submitted to the U.S. delegation on the night of September 26. Ongoing diplomatic communication, especially through the Saudi Foreign Minister, led to the inclusion of Pakistan’s proposed amendments in the revised version.
The joint Muslim bloc — including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Türkiye, the UAE, and others — has collectively endorsed a peace plan calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, humanitarian aid access, Israeli withdrawal, and a two-state solution. The Palestinian Authority has welcomed this initiative.