Islamabad, Pakistan \u2013<\/strong> When the United Nations Security Council on Monday adopted a United States-authored resolution that paves the way for a transitional administration and an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) in Gaza, Pakistan \u2013 which was presiding over the council \u2013 had a seemingly contradictory response.<\/p>\n Asim Iftikhar Ahmed, Pakistan\u2019s permanent representative to the UN, thanked the US for tabling the resolution and voted in its favour. But he also said Pakistan\u00a0was not entirely satisfied with the outcome, and warned that \u201csome critical suggestions\u201d from Pakistan were not included in the final text.<\/p>\n list of 4 items<\/span>end of list<\/span><\/section>\n Though the resolution promises a \u201ccredible pathway\u201d to Palestinian statehood, Ahmed, in his comments to the council, said it did not spell that path out, and did not clarify the role of the UN, a proposed Board of Peace (BoP) to oversee Gaza\u2019s governance, or the mandate of the ISF.<\/p>\n \u201cThose are all crucial aspects with a bearing on the success of this endeavour. We earnestly hope that further details in coming weeks will provide the much-needed clarity on these issues,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n But the country had already endorsed US President Donald Trump\u2019s 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan in September \u2013 the basis for the UN resolution. And while several other Arab and Muslim countries have also cautiously supported the resolution, Pakistan, with the largest army among them, is widely expected to play a key role in the ISF.<\/p>\n The vote in favour of the resolution, coupled with the suggestions that Pakistan still has questions it needs answers to, represents a careful tightrope walk that Islamabad will need to navigate as it faces questions at home over possible military deployment in Gaza, say analysts.<\/p>\n \u201cThe US playbook is clear and has a pro-Israel tilt. Yet, we need to recognise that this is the best option that we have,\u201d Salman Bashir, former Pakistani foreign secretary, told Al Jazeera. \u201cAfter the sufferings inflicted on the people of Gaza, we did not have any option but to go along.\u201d<\/p>\n In recent weeks, Pakistan\u2019s top leaders have engaged in hectic diplomacy with key Middle Eastern partners.<\/p>\n Last weekend, Jordan\u2019s King Abdullah II visited Islamabad and met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, the army chief. Munir had earlier travelled to Amman in October, as well as to Cairo in Egypt.<\/p>\n Pakistan has traditionally had close relations with Gulf states, and those ties have tightened amid Israel\u2019s genocidal war on Gaza. Pakistan has long called for \u201cPalestinian self-determination and the establishment of a sovereign, independent and contiguous State of Palestine based on pre-1967 borders with al-Quds al-Sharif [Jerusalem] as its capital\u201d.<\/p>\n But in recent weeks, Pakistan \u2013 the only Muslim nation with nuclear weapons \u2013 has also emerged as a key actor in the region\u2019s security calculations, courted by both the United States and important Arab allies.<\/p>\n In September, Pakistan signed a Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (SMDA) with Saudi Arabia, days after Israel had struck Doha, the Qatari capital. Then, in October, Prime Minister Sharif and Field Marshal Munir joined Trump and a bevy of other world leaders in Egypt\u2019s Sharm el-Sheikh for the formal signing ceremony of the Gaza ceasefire agreement. Sharif lavished Trump with praise on the occasion.<\/p>\n By then, Trump had already described Munir as his \u201cfavourite field marshal\u201d. Following a brief escalation with India in May, during which Pakistan said it shot down Indian jets, Munir met Trump in the Oval Office in June, an unprecedented visit for a serving Pakistani military chief who is not head of state.<\/p>\n In late September, Munir visited Washington again, this time with Sharif. The prime minister and army chief met Trump and promoted potential investment opportunities, including Pakistan\u2019s rare earth minerals.<\/p>\n Now, Pakistan\u2019s government is mulling its participation in the ISF. Though the government has not made any decision, senior officials have publicly commented favourably about the idea. \u201cIf Pakistan has to participate in it, then I think it will be a matter of pride for us,\u201d Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said on October 28. \u201cWe will be proud to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s easier said than done, cautioned some analysts.<\/p>\n Palestine is an emotive issue in Pakistan, which does not recognise Israel. The national passport explicitly states it cannot be used for travel to Israel, and any suggestion of military cooperation with Israeli forces \u2013 or even de facto recognition of Israel \u2013 remains politically fraught.<\/p>\n That makes the prospect of troop deployment to Gaza a highly sensitive subject for politicians and the military alike.<\/p>\n Officially, the government has been opaque about its position on joining the ISF.<\/p>\n Even while describing any participation in the force as a cause for pride,\u00a0Defence Minister Asif said the government would consult parliament and other institutions before making any decision.<\/p>\n \u201cThe government will take a decision after going through the process, and I don\u2019t want to preempt anything,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n In a weekly press briefing earlier this month, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said the question of Pakistan\u2019s contribution would be decided \u201cafter consultation at the highest level\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThe decision will be taken in due course, as and when required. Certain level of leadership has stated that the decision will be taken with the advice of the government,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Al Jazeera reached out to Asif, the defence minister, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, and the military\u2019s media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations, but received no response.<\/p>\n Some retired senior officers say Pakistan will not decide the matter behind closed doors.<\/p>\n Muhammad Saeed, a three-star general who served as Chief of General Staff until his 2023 retirement, said he expects the terms of reference and rules of engagement for any ISF deployment to be debated in public forums, including Pakistan\u2019s National Security Council and parliament.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is such a sensitive topic; it has to be debated publicly, and no government can possibly keep it under wraps. So once the ISF structure becomes clear, I am certain that Pakistani decision-making will be very inclusive and the public will know about the details,\u201d he told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n Kamran Bokhari, senior director at the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy in Washington, DC, said the mutual defence agreement with Saudi Arabia meant that Pakistani troops in Gaza would likely be representing both countries. He, however, added that Pakistan would likely have participated in the ISF even without the Saudi pact.<\/p>\n Still, the lack of details about the ISF and Gaza\u2019s governance in the UN resolution remains a stumbling block, say experts.<\/p>\n Several countries on the council said the resolution left key elements ambiguous, including the composition, structure and terms of reference for both the BoP and the ISF. China, which abstained, also described the text as \u201cvague and unclear\u201d on critical elements.<\/p>\n The resolution asks for the Gaza Strip to be \u201cdemilitarised\u201d and for the \u201cpermanent decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed groups\u201d, a demand that Hamas has rejected.<\/p>\n Hamas said the resolution failed to meet Palestinian rights and sought to impose an international trusteeship on Gaza that Palestinians and resistance factions oppose.<\/p>\n So far, the US has sent nearly 200 personnel, including a general, to establish a Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) near Gaza on Israeli territory. The centre will monitor humanitarian aid and act as a base from which the ISF is expected to operate.<\/p>\n US-based media outlet Politico reported last month that Pakistan, Azerbaijan and Indonesia \u2013 all Muslim-majority states \u2013 were among the top contenders to supply troops for the ISF.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates, which joined the Abraham Accords in 2020 and recognised Israel in Trump\u2019s first tenure, has said it will not participate until there is clarity on the legal framework.<\/p>\n King Abdullah of Jordan also warned that without a clear mandate for the ISF, it would be difficult to make the plan succeed.<\/p>\n Bokhari argued Pakistan has limited options, adding that many of its close allies are \u201cdeeply committed\u201d to the initiative and have sought Islamabad\u2019s participation.<\/p>\n \u201cPakistan\u2019s economic and financial problems mean it will need to reciprocate militarily in order to secure\u201d the goodwill of the US and Islamabad\u2019s Gulf allies, he said. \u201cWe have to assume that the current civilian-military leadership is aware of the domestic political risks.\u201d<\/p>\n Others point to Pakistan\u2019s long experience with UN peacekeeping. As of September 2025, UN figures show Pakistan has contributed more than 2,600 personnel to UN missions, just below Indonesia\u2019s 2,700, ranking Pakistan sixth overall.<\/p>\n Qamar Cheema, executive director of the Islamabad-based Sanober Institute, said Pakistan has emerged as a security stabiliser for the Middle East and has \u201cextensive experience of providing support in conflict zones in the past\u201d.<\/p>\n Pakistan currently faces security challenges on both its borders \u2013 with India to its east and Taliban-ruled Afghanistan to the west. But it \u201cmay not have to cut troops from its eastern or western borders, since the number of troops [needed in Gaza] may not be that big, as various countries are also sending troops,\u201d Cheema told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n Saeed, the retired general, said Pakistan\u2019s historic position on Palestine remained intact and that its prior peacekeeping experience meant that its troops were well-equipped to help the ISF.<\/p>\n \u201cPakistan has one of the richest experiences when it comes to both peacekeeping and peace enforcement through the UN. We have a sizeable force, with a variety of experience in maintaining peace and order,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe hope is that we can perhaps provide help that can eliminate the violence, lead to peace, bring humanitarian aid in Gaza and implement the UN resolution,\u201d the former general said.<\/p>\n Despite those arguments, many in Pakistan question the feasibility \u2013 and political acceptability \u2013 of serving alongside or coordinating with Israeli forces.<\/p>\n Bashir, the former foreign secretary, acknowledged the risks and said the demand that Hamas deweaponise made the ISF \u201ca difficult mission\u201d.<\/p>\n Still, he said, \u201crealism demands that we go along with a less than perfect solution\u201d.<\/p>\n Bokhari of New Lines Institute said stakeholders often sort out details \u201con the go\u201d in the early stages of such missions.<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, there is no way Pakistan or any other participating nation can avoid coordinating with Israel,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Saeed, however, disagreed. He said ISF would likely be a coalition in which one partner coordinates any dealings with Israeli forces, meaning Pakistani troops might not have direct contact with Israel.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are other countries potentially part of ISF who have relations with Israel. It is likely they will take the commanding role in ISF, and thus they will be the ones to engage with them, and not Pakistan,\u201d he said. He added Pakistan\u2019s involvement \u2013 if it happens \u2013 would be narrowly focused on maintaining the ceasefire and protecting Palestinian lives.<\/p>\n But Omar Mahmood Hayat, another retired three-star general, warned that any operational tie to Israel \u201cwill ignite domestic backlash and erode public trust\u201d.<\/p>\n Hayat said Pakistan has no diplomatic ties with Israel \u201cfor principled reasons\u201d and that blurring that line, even citing humanitarian considerations, would invite domestic confusion and controversy.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not just a moral dilemma, but it is also a strategic contradiction,\u201d he said. \u201cIt weakens our diplomatic posture.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Islamabad, Pakistan \u2013 When the United Nations Security Council on Monday adopted a United States-authored resolution that paves the way for a transitional administration and an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) in Gaza, Pakistan \u2013 which was presiding over the council \u2013 had a seemingly contradictory response. Asim Iftikhar Ahmed, Pakistan\u2019s permanent representative to the UN, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2964,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2963","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-middle-east-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2963","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2963"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2963\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2964"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2963"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2963"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2963"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Recommended Stories <\/h2>\n
Pakistan\u2019s rising geopolitical value<\/h2>\n
![\"Pakistan](\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/G1GofwcWkAAs8tr-1763516248.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C553&quality=80\")
Government keeps cards close to chest<\/h2>\n
Legal, operational ambiguities<\/h2>\n
![\"epa12533972](\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/epa_691d1ff539e5-1763516405.jpg?w=770&resize=770%2C513&quality=80\")
Costs, incentives and Pakistan\u2019s historical role<\/h2>\n
Domestic political risks and the Israeli factor<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"