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• Deputy PM insists Pakistan ready to send troops to Gaza peace force
• ISF fails to launch because nations ‘unwilling’ to commit troops, report says
• Dar maintains Islamabad held back kinetic action against Kabul at Qatar’s request
• Admits UAE visa curbs tied to crime, begging rackets involving Pakistanis
KARACHI: Amid reports that the proposed Gaza International Stabilisation Force (ISF) is struggling to take off due to countries’ reluctance to commit troops, Pakistan said on Saturday it was willing to contribute personnel but ruled out any role in disarming Hamas.
Speaking at a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said the matter of Hamas’ disarmament first came up during a meeting in Riyadh on the two-state solution.
“We are not ready for that. This is not our job, but of the Palestinian law enforcement agencies. Our job is peacekeeping, not peace enforcement,” he said.
“We are definitely ready to contribute to the force. The prime minister has in principle already announced after consultation with the field marshal that we will contribute. But this decision cannot be taken until it is decided what its [ISF] mandate and TORs (terms of reference) will be,” he said.
“As per my information, if it will include disarming Hamas, then even my Indonesian counterpart has informally expressed his reservation,” he added.
Mr Dar said he was present at the initial talks when the matter of the force was raised, adding that Indonesia had offered 20,000 troops and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had also signalled “in principle” that Pakistan would positively consider its participation.
A cornerstone of the United States-brokered Gaza Peace Agreement is the establishment of the ISF, composed mainly of troops from Muslim-majority countries. According to officials close to the discussions, an announcement is expected soon from the federal government regarding the decision.
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.
Last week, the UN Security Council (UNSC) adopted a US-drafted resolution endorsing President Donald Trump’s plan to end the conflict in Gaza. The plan also authorises the ISF for the Palestinian enclave.
Thirteen UNSC members, including Pakistan, voted in favour of the resolution, while Russia and China abstained. However, Hamas rejected the resolution and also decried the establishment of an international force whose “mission includes the disarmament” of Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza.
The matter of any supposed role of Pakistan in disarming Hamas had elicited anger from Defence Minister Khawaja Asif last month, who had rubbished and strongly
condemned contentious remarks by government spokesperson Danyal Chaudhry that the force’s mandate would include disarmament of Hamas.
Talking about the ISF, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad had said at the UNSC vote that it could be stabilising only if it operated under a clear UN-consistent mandate. Disarmament, he said, must be carried out
through a negotiated political process under a unified Palestinian National Authority.
The text of the resolution says member states can take part in the Board of Peace, envisioned as a transitional authority that would oversee the reconstruction and economic recovery of Gaza.
It also authorises the ISF, which would ensure a process of demilitarising Gaza, including by decommissioning weapons and destroying infrastructure.
The resolution’s text also says that “conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood” once the Palestinian Authority has carried out a reform programme and Gaza’s redevelopment has advanced.
Nations ‘unwilling’ to commit troops
Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported that the White House is having difficulty launching the ISF, as countries that previously expressed willingness to deploy troops now seek to distance themselves from it.
The ISF “is struggling to get off the ground as countries considered likely to contribute soldiers have grown wary” over concerns their soldiers may be required to use force against Palestinians.
Indonesia had stated it would send 20,000 peacekeeping troops. However, officials in Jakarta speaking with the US news outlet said they now plan to provide a much smaller contingent of about 1,200.
Azerbaijan has also reneged on a previous commitment to provide troops.
Kinetic action against Afghanistan
The deputy prime minister also talked at length about the recent flare-up and deterioration of bilateral ties with Afghanistan.
Referring to retaliatory action by Pakistan following terror attacks carried out by Afghan nationals in the country, the foreign minister said it was a mistake of the Taliban authorities to believe that Pakistan could not sort out the situation itself, saying the country had ample kinetic capabilities, but it would not be a “desirable” course of action to invade a brotherly country and neutralise problematic elements.
“The situation was possibly leading to that stage when this issue began. Qatar is a country whose foreign ministry was contacting me hourly at that time,” he said, adding that the Qatari prime minister and foreign minister were in touch with him “every hour”.
“They found out that we were about to take kinetic action. They requested that ‘please stop your side and we will mediate, take responsibility and get the issue resolved.’” He urged Kabul’s authorities that “dialogue and diplomacy” were the only way to resolve current issues and called on the Afghan Taliban regime to reflect on its weaknesses and faults.
Referring to the shooting of two US National Guards by an Afghan national and attacks on Chinese workers in Tajikistan from Afghanistan, Mr Dar warned that “the time is not far when Muslims and non-Muslims will unite to eliminate this terrorism”.
He stressed that he was working to restore delivery of relief goods, food and essential humanitarian aid “for the sake of the Afghan people” on the request of the United Nations.
EU monitoring mission
Talking about the current visit of a seven-member European Union delegation as part of the fifth Biennial Review of the GSP+ scheme and Pakistan’s progress so far, Mr Dar said: “Nearly all of our matters have been satisfactorily handled. Around six items are pending, of which it is hoped that three legislative actions will be completed in the ongoing National Assembly and Senate sessions.”
Mr Dar said he had informed EU officials in Brussels that its review group would “give a very positive report” upon their return from Pakistan. He expressed hope that the review would be successful.
UAE visa issues
Mr Dar also addressed the issue of UAE visas and assured that the issue had been raised multiple times.
“We are not sleeping. This issue has been raised many times. They’ve also shown evidence that of the different nationalities involved in crime in the UAE, Pakistanis are at the top, unfortunately.”
Mr Dar added that the issue had reached such an extent at a certain point that “even visas of officials and ministers were refused”.
Published in Dawn, November 30th, 2025
