Pakistan has announced its willingness to send security forces to Gaza as part of the proposed International Stabilization Force (ISF), a key component of the US-brokered peace plan endorsed by the UN Security Council (UNSCR 2803).
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!However, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has issued a critical caveat, clearly defining the limits of Pakistan’s participation:
Key Stance: Refusal to Disarm Hamas
- Peacekeeping, Not Enforcement: Dar stated that Pakistan’s role would be strictly “peacekeeping, not peace enforcement.”
- Disarmament is Not Our Work: He categorically refused any involvement in disarming the Palestinian group Hamas, asserting: “We are not ready for that. This is not our job, but of the Palestinian law enforcement agencies.”
Conditions and Context
- UN Mandate Required: The deployment is conditional on the mission having a clearly defined United Nations Security Council (UNSC) mandate and finalized Terms of Reference (TORs).
- Diplomatic Pressure: This stance reflects Pakistan’s need to perform a “diplomatic balancing act”—seeking to support the US-led peace framework while managing strong domestic political solidarity with the Palestinian cause, which views Hamas as a resistance group.
- Regional Alignment: Pakistan’s reservation on the disarmament clause is reportedly shared by other potential contributors, with Dar noting that his Indonesian counterpart has also informally expressed reservations regarding this mission objective.
Pakistan’s decision is pending the final definition of the ISF’s mandate, which is authorized to “demilitarize” Gaza but faces significant pushback on the ground regarding the forced disarmament of Palestinian factions.
