Pakistan Denies Supporting Trump's 20-Point Gaza Peace Plan Despite President's Claims of Full Endorsement

Pakistan has recently clarified that it did not support the specific '20-point' Gaza peace plan announced by US President Donald Trump, despite his claims of their full endorsement. This clarification comes amid significant domestic controversy over the matter.

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar explicitly stated to Pakistani lawmakers that the plan Trump publicized differed from the draft proposed by Muslim-majority nations in Washington. "I have made it clear that these 20 points, which Trump has made public, are not ours. These are not the same as ours. I say that some changes have been made in it, in the draft we had," Dar explained during a parliamentary session on Friday.

The controversy emerged after Trump announced his Gaza peace proposal last week, claiming that both Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir supported it "100 per cent." This assertion triggered widespread outrage within Pakistan.

Trump's plan contains several contentious provisions, including requirements for Hamas to disarm and establishing a "Board of Peace" chaired by the American President himself. It outlines a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, hostage exchanges, and reconstruction efforts to be funded by Arab nations. However, critics note the plan lacks a clear pathway to Palestinian statehood.

Following Trump's announcement, Prime Minister Sharif had initially welcomed the plan and called for implementing a two-state solution, stating, "I am also convinced that durable peace between the Palestinian people and Israel would be essential in bringing political stability and economic growth to the region."

This apparent endorsement sparked significant domestic backlash. According to the Karachi-based Dawn newspaper, Pakistani politicians, analysts, journalists, and activists condemned Sharif's position, characterizing it as a "surrender."

Former diplomat Abdul Basit voiced strong criticism: "This is a complete surrender by the Muslim world. They can't even mention a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital." He questioned why Sharif would support Trump's plan "knowing full well that it is literally ruling out any possibility of creating a state of Palestine."

Allama Raja Nasir, leader of Pakistan's Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) party, described Trump's proposal as "flawed and unjust" and one that "disregards the rights and aspirations of the Palestinian people." He further criticized it as a "secretive plan, crafted without open dialogue" that "excludes Palestinians and imposes a US-centric solution that prioritises Israeli interests over Palestinian justice."