Pakistan will send forces to Gaza, confirms Ishaq Dar, says disarming Hamas ‘not our job’

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar on Saturday confirmed that the nation is prepared to deploy security forces to Gaza as part of an international peacekeeping mission but said that its troops will not take part in disarming Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. Addressing reporters, Dar said Pakistan would send troops only under a clearly defined United Nations Security Council mandate and rejected any suggestion that Pakistani forces would play any role in disarming Hamas. “Pakistan’s job is to ensure peace. We are ready to give our forces, but the mandate of the International Stabilisation Force for Gaza must be clearly chalked out,” he said. Neutralising Hamas is a responsibility that lies with Palestinian security institutions and is not Pakistan’s work, he added. “We are not ready for that. This is not our job, but that of the Palestinian law enforcement agencies. Our job is peacekeeping, not peace enforcement,” Dar said.

As per intelligence assessments, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Azerbaijan are being considered for a limited deployment in Gaza once the current conflict subsides. Senior security sources indicate that Pakistan’s participation is being discussed after extensive regional consultations.

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Reports say that Islamabad will have two broad responsibilities: stabilizing Gaza and helping curb the remaining radicalised elements of Hamas.

Iran, Turkey, and Qatar likely to oppose Pak troops’ deployment in Gaza

However, Iran, Turkey, and Qatar are likely to oppose any Pakistani deployment that could be interpreted as aiding US-Israeli objectives or undermining Hamas.

Analysts also warn that sending troops to Gaza may provoke backlash from Islamist groups within Pakistan and could shift Islamabad’s image in the Arab world from a pro-Palestinian advocate to a Western-aligned stabilisation partner.

Last week, the UN Security Council (UNSC) adopted a US-drafted resolution endorsing President Donald Trump’s plan to end the conflict in Gaza. Trump’s plan also authorises the International Stabilisation Force (ISF) for the Palestinian enclave. Thirteen UNSC members, including Pakistan, voted in favour of the resolution, while Russia and China abstained.

Hamas, however, rejected the resolution and o decried the establishment of an international force whose “mission includes the disarmament” of Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza.

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Aware of UAE, Saudi visa issues, says FM

Replying to a question on the visa situation for Pakistanis looking to travel to the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf states, FM Dar said, “This issue has been raised many times. They’ve also shown their internal evidence that of the different nationalities involved in crime in the UAE, Pakistanis are at the top, unfortunately.”

The issue reached such an extent at a certain point that even the visas of officials and ministers were refused, Dar added.

The foreign minister also pointed to the issue of the begging racket, including in Saudi Arabia, that involved Pakistanis.

“Pakistanis are caught the most in beggary there, unfortunately,” Dar admitted.