BOARD OF PEACE – PAKISTAN’S STRATEGIC SIGNIFICANCE

Pakistan’s participation in the proposed Board of Peace (BoP) must be viewed in the broader context of regional stability, principled diplomacy, and the evolving global order. The initiative, backed by several significant countries including multiple Muslim states, presents both an opportunity and a responsibility for Pakistan.

Broad International Support and Core Objectives

1. The initiative is supported by multiple significant countries, including a number of Muslim nations. Turkey, the UAE, and several others have already joined, while additional states are following up.

2. Resolution of the Gaza crisis in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions.

3. Achievement of a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, ultimately leading to reconstruction.

4. Establishment of lasting peace in Gaza, ensuring protection of Palestinian rights, statehood, and the right to self-determination.

5. Ensuring overall security and stability in the region.

Historic and Necessary

1. A pragmatic step toward a political solution to the ongoing genocide in Gaza, with participation from significant nations, including multiple Muslim countries, working collectively to safeguard Palestinian interests.

2. Recognition of Pakistan’s diplomatic weight and importance within the global community.

3. Alignment with Pakistan’s participation in multiple multilateral forums and engagements in an increasingly polarized, militarized, and fragmented world.

4. Pakistan stands among the few countries without disputes with any major global power — the United States, China, and Russia — while maintaining strategic and friendly relations with all. This positions Pakistan uniquely to act as a bridge for peace in a world marked by uncertainty and flux.

Why It Is Sensible for Pakistan to Be Part of the Board of Peace

1. Pakistan does not subscribe to bloc politics. It engages with all while preserving strategic autonomy, rejecting rigid “either-or” alignments in favor of balance and maneuverability.

2. Pakistan’s foreign policy has consistently protected key national interests without compromise — whether on China, India, Kashmir, or Palestine. Despite geopolitical pressures and shifting global alignments, Pakistan has remained firm and principled. Its position on Gaza and Kashmir is rooted in international law and UN resolutions: no recognition of Israel, no policy reversal, Al-Quds Al-Sharif as the capital of a free and independent Palestinian state, and recognition of Kashmir as a disputed territory to be resolved through a fair and impartial plebiscite.

3. As geopolitical fault lines harden, neutrality increasingly becomes indistinguishable from irrelevance. For the most significant military power in the Muslim world, abstention is not prudence; it is strategic forfeiture.

4. Pakistan’s credibility is established through sustained contributions to United Nations peacekeeping missions, earning trust through action rather than rhetoric.

5. Portraying Pakistan as a bystander serves only those invested in paralysis. In a world where power equations are being redrawn daily, Pakistan’s presence is not optional — it is a strategic necessity.

ISF vs Board of Peace: Clearing the Confusion

1. Pakistan’s stance on its engagement in the Islamic Security Force (ISF) has been clearly articulated at multiple levels by the Government of Pakistan. Any engagement will be strictly aligned with national interest, UN mandates, and the aspirations of the people of Pakistan and Palestine.

2. Equating participation in the Board of Peace with involvement in ISF is illogical and misplaced, and obscures the distinct purpose and scope of the Board of Peace initiative.