KEY POINTS
- Pakistan joined Trump-led peace efforts for Palestine, says Sharif.
- Sharif expressed concern over Gaza toll of 66,000 dead.
- Dar said follow-up talks after Trump’s meeting with Muslim leader were continuing.
- PM Sharif called his meeting with Trump “productive” and “constructive.”
LONDON: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Sunday he expected “encouraging” results from US President Donald Trump’s recent meeting with leaders of Muslim countries in New York, where the US President presented a plan to end Israel’s war in Gaza.
“We fully participated in the meeting on Gaza, and God willing, its encouraging results will come out soon,” Sharif told a gathering of overseas Pakistanis at the country’s High Commission in London, where he was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
According to state broadcaster Radio Pakistan, the prime minister confirmed that Pakistan had joined Trump-led efforts “to bring peace to Palestine and end oppression against the people of Gaza.”
Trump’s ceasefire plan
Trump hosted leaders from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Turkiye and Indonesia on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly session last week.
His envoy, Steve Witkoff, said the US president presented a framework for ending the Gaza conflict, which has raged since Israel launched its offensive in October 2023.
Reports by Israel’s Channel 12 and US-based outlet Axios said Trump’s plan calls for an immediate ceasefire, the release of hostages, phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, deployment of Arab and Muslim peacekeepers, and reconstruction programmes supported by regional donors. Israel was briefed on the proposals, but was not involved in drafting them, the reports added.
At the meeting, Trump stressed the urgency of a deal. “We have to get the hostages back … this is the group that can do it, more than any other group in the world,” he told his guests.
Pakistani concerns
PM Sharif voiced deep concern over the humanitarian toll of Israel’s bombardment campaign in Gaza, which Palestinian officials say has killed more than 66,000 people. “We pray that the cruelty and barbarity being witnessed there ends soon,” Sharif said.
Dar said that “follow-up communications after the meeting were continuing” and that outcomes would be shared with the public once they materialised.
Bilateral relations
Sharif also referred to his bilateral meeting with Trump at the White House during his recent US visit, calling it “productive” and “constructive.” He said he hoped the engagement would help “further strengthen Pakistan-US ties.”
He told expatriates that his address to the UN General Assembly reflected “the sentiments of Pakistanis,” noting he had raised both the Kashmir dispute and the crisis in Gaza.
The prime minister praised the role of overseas Pakistanis in supporting the country’s development, describing them as a “valuable national asset.” He added that while Pakistan’s economy had struggled in recent years, stability and growth were now emerging, thanks to “sincere and coordinated teamwork.”
Dar, meanwhile, highlighted economic indicators, saying interest rates had fallen from 22% to 11% and inflation had dropped to 5%. He argued that the government had “saved Pakistan from default” and set the stage for further improvement.
