Islamabad, Pakistan – When the United Nations Safety Council on Monday adopted a United States-authored resolution that paves the best way for a transitional administration and an Worldwide Stabilisation Power (ISF) in Gaza, Pakistan – which was presiding over the council – had a seemingly contradictory response.
Asim Iftikhar Ahmed, Pakistan’s everlasting consultant to the UN, thanked the US for tabling the decision and voted in its favour. However he additionally mentioned Pakistan was not fully happy with the end result, and warned that “some vital ideas” from Pakistan weren’t included within the ultimate textual content.
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Although the decision guarantees a “credible pathway” to Palestinian statehood, Ahmed, in his feedback to the council, mentioned it didn’t spell that path out, and didn’t make clear the function of the UN, a proposed Board of Peace (BoP) to supervise Gaza’s governance, or the mandate of the ISF.
“These are all essential facets with a bearing on the success of this endeavour. We earnestly hope that additional particulars in coming weeks will present the much-needed readability on these points,” he mentioned.
However the nation had already endorsed US President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan in September – the premise for the UN decision. And whereas a number of different Arab and Muslim nations have additionally cautiously supported the decision, Pakistan, with the biggest military amongst them, is broadly anticipated to play a key function within the ISF.
The vote in favour of the decision, coupled with the ideas that Pakistan nonetheless has questions it wants solutions to, represents a cautious tightrope stroll that Islamabad might want to navigate because it faces questions at residence over potential navy deployment in Gaza, say analysts.
“The US playbook is obvious and has a pro-Israel tilt. But, we have to recognise that that is the most suitable choice that now we have,” Salman Bashir, former Pakistani international secretary, advised Al Jazeera. “After the sufferings inflicted on the folks of Gaza, we didn’t have any possibility however to go alongside.”
Pakistan’s rising geopolitical worth
In latest weeks, Pakistan’s prime leaders have engaged in hectic diplomacy with key Center Japanese companions.
Final weekend, Jordan’s King Abdullah II visited Islamabad and met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Subject Marshal Asim Munir, the military chief. Munir had earlier travelled to Amman in October, in addition to to Cairo in Egypt.
Pakistan has historically had shut relations with Gulf states, and people ties have tightened amid Israel’s genocidal warfare on Gaza. Pakistan has lengthy referred to as for “Palestinian self-determination and the institution of a sovereign, unbiased and contiguous State of Palestine primarily based on pre-1967 borders with al-Quds al-Sharif [Jerusalem] as its capital”.
However in latest weeks, Pakistan – the one Muslim nation with nuclear weapons – has additionally emerged as a key actor within the area’s safety calculations, courted by each america and necessary Arab allies.
In September, Pakistan signed a Strategic Mutual Defence Settlement (SMDA) with Saudi Arabia, days after Israel had struck Doha, the Qatari capital. Then, in October, Prime Minister Sharif and Subject Marshal Munir joined Trump and a bevy of different world leaders in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh for the formal signing ceremony of the Gaza ceasefire agreement. Sharif lavished Trump with reward on the event.
By then, Trump had already described Munir as his “favorite area marshal”. Following a short escalation with India in Might, throughout which Pakistan mentioned it shot down Indian jets, Munir met Trump within the Oval Workplace in June, an unprecedented go to for a serving Pakistani navy chief who shouldn’t be head of state.
In late September, Munir visited Washington once more, this time with Sharif. The prime minister and armed forces chief met Trump and promoted potential funding alternatives, together with Pakistan’s rare earth minerals.
Now, Pakistan’s authorities is mulling its participation within the ISF. Although the federal government has not made any choice, senior officers have publicly commented favourably concerning the concept. “If Pakistan has to take part in it, then I believe it is going to be a matter of pleasure for us,” Defence Minister Khawaja Asif mentioned on October 28. “We might be proud to do it.”
That’s simpler mentioned than performed, cautioned some analysts.
Palestine is an emotive difficulty in Pakistan, which doesn’t recognise Israel. The nationwide passport explicitly states it can’t be used for journey to Israel, and any suggestion of navy cooperation with Israeli forces – and even de facto recognition of Israel – stays politically fraught.
That makes the prospect of troop deployment to Gaza a extremely delicate topic for politicians and the navy alike.
Authorities retains playing cards near chest
Formally, the federal government has been opaque about its place on becoming a member of the ISF.
Even whereas describing any participation within the pressure as a trigger for pleasure, Defence Minister Asif mentioned the federal government would seek the advice of parliament and different establishments earlier than making any choice.
“The federal government will take a choice after going by means of the method, and I don’t need to preempt something,” he mentioned.
In a weekly press briefing earlier this month, Ministry of Overseas Affairs spokesperson Tahir Andrabi mentioned the query of Pakistan’s contribution could be determined “after session on the highest stage”.
“The choice might be taken in the end, as and when required. Sure stage of management has acknowledged that the choice might be taken with the recommendation of the federal government,” he mentioned.
Al Jazeera reached out to Asif, the defence minister, Data Minister Attaullah Tarar, and the navy’s media wing, the Inter-Providers Public Relations, however obtained no response.
Authorized, operational ambiguities
Some retired senior officers say Pakistan won’t determine the matter behind closed doorways.
Muhammad Saeed, a three-star normal who served as Chief of Common Employees till his 2023 retirement, mentioned he expects the phrases of reference and guidelines of engagement for any ISF deployment to be debated in public boards, together with Pakistan’s Nationwide Safety Council and parliament.
“That is such a delicate subject; it must be debated publicly, and no authorities can presumably preserve it underneath wraps. So as soon as the ISF construction turns into clear, I’m sure that Pakistani decision-making might be very inclusive and the general public will know concerning the particulars,” he advised Al Jazeera.
Kamran Bokhari, senior director on the New Strains Institute for Technique and Coverage in Washington, DC, mentioned the mutual defence settlement with Saudi Arabia meant that Pakistani troops in Gaza would probably be representing each nations. He, nevertheless, added that Pakistan would probably have participated within the ISF even with out the Saudi pact.
Nonetheless, the shortage of particulars concerning the ISF and Gaza’s governance within the UN decision stays a stumbling block, say consultants.
A number of nations on the council mentioned the decision left key components ambiguous, together with the composition, construction and phrases of reference for each the BoP and the ISF. China, which abstained, additionally described the textual content as “imprecise and unclear” on vital components.
The decision asks for the Gaza Strip to be “demilitarised” and for the “everlasting decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed teams”, a requirement that Hamas has rejected.
Hamas mentioned the decision failed to satisfy Palestinian rights and sought to impose a world trusteeship on Gaza that Palestinians and resistance factions oppose.
Thus far, the US has despatched practically 200 personnel, together with a normal, to determine a Civil-Army Coordination Middle (CMCC) close to Gaza on Israeli territory. The centre will monitor humanitarian support and act as a base from which the ISF is anticipated to function.
US-based media outlet Politico reported final month that Pakistan, Azerbaijan and Indonesia – all Muslim-majority states – have been among the many prime contenders to provide troops for the ISF.
In the meantime, the United Arab Emirates, which joined the Abraham Accords in 2020 and recognised Israel in Trump’s first tenure, has mentioned it won’t take part till there may be readability on the authorized framework.
King Abdullah of Jordan additionally warned that with out a clear mandate for the ISF, it might be tough to make the plan succeed.
Prices, incentives and Pakistan’s historic function
Bokhari argued Pakistan has restricted choices, including that a lot of its shut allies are “deeply dedicated” to the initiative and have sought Islamabad’s participation.
“Pakistan’s financial and monetary issues imply it might want to reciprocate militarily to be able to safe” the goodwill of the US and Islamabad’s Gulf allies, he mentioned. “We now have to imagine that the present civilian-military management is conscious of the home political dangers.”
Others level to Pakistan’s lengthy expertise with UN peacekeeping. As of September 2025, UN figures present Pakistan has contributed greater than 2,600 personnel to UN missions, just under Indonesia’s 2,700, rating Pakistan sixth total.
Qamar Cheema, govt director of the Islamabad-based Sanober Institute, mentioned Pakistan has emerged as a safety stabiliser for the Center East and has “in depth expertise of offering assist in battle zones previously”.
Pakistan at the moment faces safety challenges on each its borders – with India to its east and Taliban-ruled Afghanistan to the west. However it “could not have to chop troops from its jap or western borders, for the reason that variety of troops [needed in Gaza] is probably not that massive, as numerous nations are additionally sending troops,” Cheema advised Al Jazeera.
Saeed, the retired normal, mentioned Pakistan’s historic place on Palestine remained intact and that its prior peacekeeping expertise meant that its troops have been well-equipped to assist the ISF.
“Pakistan has one of many richest experiences with regards to each peacekeeping and peace enforcement by means of the UN. We now have a sizeable pressure, with quite a lot of expertise in sustaining peace and order,” he mentioned.
“The hope is that we will maybe present assist that may remove the violence, result in peace, carry humanitarian support in Gaza and implement the UN decision,” the previous normal mentioned.
Home political dangers and the Israeli issue
Regardless of these arguments, many in Pakistan query the feasibility – and political acceptability – of serving alongside or coordinating with Israeli forces.
Bashir, the previous international secretary, acknowledged the dangers and mentioned the demand that Hamas deweaponise made the ISF “a tough mission”.
Nonetheless, he mentioned, “realism calls for that we associate with a less than excellent answer”.
Bokhari of New Strains Institute mentioned stakeholders typically type out particulars “on the go” within the early levels of such missions.
“After all, there isn’t any approach Pakistan or every other collaborating nation can keep away from coordinating with Israel,” he mentioned.
Saeed, nevertheless, disagreed. He mentioned ISF would probably be a coalition during which one associate coordinates any dealings with Israeli forces, that means Pakistani troops won’t have direct contact with Israel.
“There are different nations probably a part of ISF who’ve relations with Israel. It’s probably they may take the commanding function in ISF, and thus they would be the ones to have interaction with them, and never Pakistan,” he mentioned. He added Pakistan’s involvement – if it occurs – could be narrowly centered on sustaining the ceasefire and defending Palestinian lives.
However Omar Mahmood Hayat, one other retired three-star normal, warned that any operational tie to Israel “will ignite home backlash and erode public belief”.
Hayat mentioned Pakistan has no diplomatic ties with Israel “for principled causes” and that blurring that line, even citing humanitarian issues, would invite home confusion and controversy.
“This isn’t only a ethical dilemma, however additionally it is a strategic contradiction,” he mentioned. “It weakens our diplomatic posture.”
