PM signs Gaza ‘Board of Peace’ charter

DAVOS: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday signed the charter for the “Board of Peace”, an initiative of US President Donald Trump to promote peace in Gaza.

The signing ceremony was held in Davos, Switzerland, on the sidelines of the ongoing World Economic Forum (WEF).

Besides Prime Minister Shehbaz, the charter was also signed by leaders from Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Bahrain, Morocco, Argentina and Armenia.

Other countries that signed the draft include the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Uzbekistan, Paraguay, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Hungary, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Mongolia.

READ MORE: Pakistan accepts Trump’s invite to join Gaza Board of Peace: FO

The Board of Peace was initially conceived as a forum to address Israel’s war on Gaza, though its charter does not limit the body’s mandate to the occupied Palestinian territory alone. Pakistan formally accepted President Trump’s invitation to join the initiative a day earlier.

Following an address by the US president, heads of state and government took turns to sign the charter. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, also spoke at the event.

President Trump described the signatories as his friends and said several countries had shown interest in joining the board. He noted that invitations were sent out recently and that leaders present in Davos were able to sign the charter during the meeting.

Referring to the participants, Trump said the leaders present were “truly honoured” guests, describing most of them as popular leaders while remarking that some were “not so popular.” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was among those seated in the audience during the address.

During his speech, President Trump also spoke at length about Gaza, stating that Hamas must disarm under the ceasefire agreement or face severe consequences. He reiterated the US commitment to ensuring that Gaza is demilitarised, properly governed, and rebuilt, adding that the Board of Peace could later expand its focus to other regions.

Trump said the Board of Peace would work in coordination with the United Nations, calling the potential partnership “very unique for the world.”