Opposition parties on Thursday criticized Pakistan’s involvement in U.S. President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, pointing to a lack of parliamentary consultation prior to the commitment.
Islamabad formally joined the Board of Peace at a ceremony in Davos, aiming to achieve a lasting resolution to the Gaza conflict. Overall, 19 countries have signed on as inaugural members of the Board.
Referring to the development on the floor of the National Assembly, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman said it was the government’s responsibility to brief lawmakers on decisions of such national importance. Questioning if the federal cabinet was taken into confidence prior to joining the Board of Peace, he also noted that several observers were criticizing the Board as a parallel body to the United Nations.
Dubbing the decision to join the Board a bid to secure the “blessings of U.S. President Donald Trump,” he alleged the government was adopting national policies under international pressure rather than national interest.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Gohar Ali Khan similarly criticized the move, maintaining that Islamabad’s joining of the Board without consultation was not a positive development. Lamenting that the House was sidelined from the decision-making, he demanded the government make clear the terms and conditions of joining the Trump-led body.
Former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser, similarly, said the PTI did not support the decision.
Responding to the opposition’s criticism, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said the government took decision in the national interest and the collective interests of the Muslim Ummah. He recalled that Pakistan had always raised its voice for Kashmir and Palestine and joined the Board of Peace to ensure Gaza’s reconstruction and achieve a permanent ceasefire. He said the issue merited consensus rather than political confrontation.
Also on Thursday, PTI’s Qaiser objected to the passage of a PPP-tabled bill allowing lawmakers to keep details of their assets secret over security concerns. He said parliamentarians were not above ordinary citizens and demanded the legislation’s withdrawal.