IN the rarefied environs of Davos, the Board of Peace — a Trumpian addition to the world of multilateral bodies — was formally birthed on Thursday.

Pakistan was among around 20 other states that signed on to be part of this entity, though many American allies, particularly in Europe, chose to stay away. Originally planned to end the genocide in Gaza and rehabilitate the devastated Palestinian territory, under Donald Trump’s vision, the board seeks to expand its horizons, attempting to resolve other international conflicts as well.

Yet lasting peace in Gaza remains elusive, and the founders and supporters of the board may like to address this unresolved issue before moving on to other conflict zones. Pakistan’s rulers have presented the country’s inclusion in the board — in the face of considerable domestic criticism — as a strategic necessity and a ‘pragmatic step’.

Perhaps some within the ruling dispensation feel that Pakistan could do more inside the board for the people of Palestine then by choosing to stay out. Whatever the rationale behind the decision to join, Pakistan, and the other Muslim states that have joined, including Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt, must now ensure that their presence on the board serves to protect the interests of the Palestinian people.

First and foremost should be the rehabilitation of Gaza, and ensuring uninhibited flow of aid to the occupied territory. Once the rebuilding phase begins, a concrete roadmap to a sovereign Palestinian state should be a priority, just as the Foreign Office has reiterated while commenting on Pakistan’s inclusion on the board. And Muslim states should also not participate in any efforts to disarm Hamas or other Palestinian resistance groups by force.

Yet the bitter reality of the situation in Gaza is that even despite the ongoing ‘ceasefire’, Israel continues its killing spree. For example, just a day before the Board of Peace signing ceremony in Switzerland, Tel Aviv’s forces had murdered at least 11 Palestinians in Gaza, including three journalists.

Overall Israel has butchered at least 466 Palestinians since the ceasefire took effect last October. The Muslim bloc within the Board of Peace must ensure that this murder of Palestinians stops forthwith.

Prospects of the board’s success remain dim largely because Mr Trump, who is chairman of the board, and his subordinates serving in the institution have a very clear bias towards Israel. It remains to be seen whether the Muslim members are able to alter this view, and bring balance to the American president’s policy towards occupied Palestine.

If the board does bring peace to Palestine, it will succeed where many others have failed. However, unless it reins in Israel and ensures justice for Palestine, it will remain just a vanity project that ultimately whitewashes the Zionist state’s brutal crimes.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2026