Part of peace troops
\nForeign minister says Pakistan\u2019s stance on Palestine remains clear with no policy chang
\n ISLAMABAD
\nDeputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday said Pakistan\u2019s leadership will decide on the possible deployment of personnel to a proposed peace force for Palestine, reaffirming that the country\u2019s policy on the issue remains clear with no change in its stance.
\nAddressing a press conference, the foreign minister defended the country\u2019s decision to back the Gaza peace plan, floated by US President Donald Trump, saying that ground operations in Palestine would primarily be handled by local law enforcement agencies.
\n\u201cIndonesia has offered 20,000 personnel for the peace force,\u201d he said, adding that Pakistani leadership would also take a decision in this regard.
\n\u201cI\u2019m sure Pakistan will also decide \u2014 the leadership will make the decision \u2014 and we have told them that whatever arrangement is made should be documented at the United Nations. There is also the UN peacekeeping force, but this was about a special force only for Gaza,\u201d he added.
\nHis remarks came a day after the White House released Trump\u2019s 20-point plan that calls for a ceasefire, a swap of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, a staged Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian enclave, Hamas disarmament and a transitional government led by an international body.
\nAddressing a presser, Trump said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to a US-backed peace plan for Gaza, even as Israeli forces press one of their fiercest offensives in the battered Palestinian enclave.
\nThe proposal calls for a ceasefire and the release of hostages, but its success still hinges on whether Hamas will come on board. During today\u2019s presser, Dar pointed out that five countries believe Hamas will accept the plan, and \u201cwe should trust their assurances.\u201d Dar added that the idea also includes establishing an independent technocrat government in Palestine, overseen by a supervisory body largely made up of Palestinians. Dar clarified that Pakistan had not struck any deal directly with Israel. \u201cIf we had to deal with Israel, we would have done it directly. We dealt with the United States, and the United States dealt with Israel,\u201d he asserted.
\nThe deputy PM further confirmed that in his meeting with President Trump, Pakistan, along with seven other nations, agreed to the Gaza agenda. \u201cWe raised the matter of ceasefire and aid, and a secret understanding was reached for foreign ministers of the eight countries to hold further consultations with Trump\u2019s team,\u201d he disclosed.
\nHe reiterated that Pakistan, alongside seven other nations, stands firmly united on the Palestinian policy. \u201cPakistan\u2019s policy is absolutely clear, and there has been no change in it,\u201d Dar underlined.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Part of peace troops Foreign minister says Pakistan\u2019s stance on Palestine remains clear with no policy chang ISLAMABAD Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday said Pakistan\u2019s leadership will decide on the possible deployment of personnel to a proposed peace force for Palestine, reaffirming that the country\u2019s policy on the issue remains […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":489178,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-505890","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n