• Officials say deliberations ‘at advanced stage’; announcement expected soon
• Maintain Islamabad would prefer deployment to be under UN mandate; cite country’s strong track record in peacekeeping missions
• Indonesia, UAE, Egypt, Qatar, Turkiye and Azerbaijan among nations being asked to send troops; Tel Aviv opposes deployment of Turkish forces

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is expected to soon announce whether it will contribute troops to the International Stabilisation Force (ISF) being assembled for Gaza, officials said, amid indications that the government is leaning toward participation.

Officials familiar with the deliberations, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said discussions within the government and military establishment were at an “advanced stage”.

According to them, the tone of internal consultations suggests that Islamabad is inclined to take part in the mission.

A cornerstone of the US-brokered Gaza Peace Agreement is the establishment of the ISF, composed mainly of troops from Muslim-majority countries.

The force’s mandate would include maintaining internal security, disarming Hamas, securing border crossings, and assisting with humanitarian relief and reconstruction under the supervision of a transitional Palestinian authority.

While the Trump administration has ruled out sending US soldiers into the Gaza Strip, it has been speaking to Indonesia, the UAE, Egypt, Qatar, Turkiye and Azerbaijan to contribute to the multinational force.

However, on Monday, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar openly opposed Turkiye’s inclusion in the ISF, over Turk­ish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s “hostile approach against Israel”.

On Sunday, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu had said his country would decide which foreign forces to allow in Gaza, and hinted that he would be strongly opposed to any role for Turkish security forces.

According to a report in the Israeli press, members of the Israeli parliament’s Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee were told during a closed-door briefing last week that the ISF — comprising soldiers from Indonesia, Azerbaijan and Pakistan — would “be tasked with maintaining internal security and policing in Gaza, as well as assisting Israel in securing the borders and preventing weapons smuggling into the territory”.

These reports come as Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir visits Egypt and Jordan, two countries deeply involved in post-ceasefire developments related to Gaza.

While the military has described his visits as focused on promoting defence ties, sources said the fragile implementation of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan featured prominently in his discussions with regional leaders.

During his meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, Field Marshal Munir praised Egypt’s pivotal role in calming tensions and achieving stability in the Middle East, according to a statement by the Egyptian presidency. He also lauded Egypt’s “tireless efforts” to end the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.

Egypt, a primary mediator alongside Qatar and the United States, hosted the pivotal Sharm el-Sheikh summit on Oct 13, where the plan’s first phase was signed.

According to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), President Sisi expressed appreciation for Pakistan’s “positive and proactive contributions” to matters of importance for the world and the Muslim ummah.

Analysts believe the army chief’s discussions in Cairo point to Pakistan’s potential involvement in the stabilisation force and the US-led Civil-Military Coordination Centre being set up to oversee the peace plan’s implementation.

In Jordan, during Field Marshal Munir’s meetings with King Abdullah II and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Maj Gen Yousef Ahmed Al-Huneiti, the Jordanian leadership acknowledged Pakistan’s “contributions toward peace and regional security,” according to ISPR.

Officials in Islamabad argue that Pakistan’s potential participation stems from both moral responsibility and diplomatic necessity. They noted that Pakistan was part of the original eight-country peace proposal conceived in late 2024, and backed by several Muslim-majority states, that formed the basis of the US-brokered Gaza peace plan finalised earlier this month.

Since the stabilisation force was a key pillar of that plan, officials said, Pakistan’s participation would signal consistency and credibility.

“We were among the ori­ginal backers of the peace architecture for Gaza. To step aside now would mean abandoning an initiative we helped shape,” said one senior official. “There’s a moral obligation, not just a political one.”

Another argument giv­en by the government circles supporting Pakistan’s inclusion in the ISF is its strong track record in int­ernational peacekeeping.

Pakistan is one of the largest troop contributors to United Nations peace missions, having deployed more than 200,000 personnel to over 40 operations across Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Officials contend that this experience not only equips Pakistani forces to manage volatile post-conflict environments but also lends credibility and legitimacy to the ISF.

Beyond moral and operational grounds, foreign policy imperatives also underpin the government’s case for participation. Officials argue that joining the Gaza stabilisation force could strengthen Pakistan’s relations with the United States.

Islamabad’s ties with Washington have been on a gradual mend since Trump’s return to the White House, following years of friction over Afghanistan and counterterrorism. Participating in a US-supported multilateral initiative, they said, could further this thaw and open avenues for economic cooperation, defence support and regional influence.

However, officials cautioned that there is still no clarity on the legal framework for the deployment.

“Ideally, we would like this deployment to take place under a UN mandate,” an official said.

Still, such a deployment would not be without risk. Gaza remains highly volatile, and domestic opinion in Pakistan presents an additional challenge.

Many Pakistanis, deeply sympathetic to the Pales­tinian cause, may perceive participation in a US-desi­gned stabilisation mission as serving Israeli interests or even as a betrayal of Palestinian resistance. “It’s a difficult but defining choice,” said another official.

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2025