DPM Dar distances Pakistan from Trump’s Gaza peace plan

By Muhammad MubashirPublished On 03 Oct 2025

Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday categorically said that the 20-point Gaza peace plan announced by US President Donald Trump was different from the draft proposed by the Muslim countries including Pakistan.

"The 20-point [Gaza peace plan] made public by President Trump are truly not ours and changes have been made to our draft," DPM Dar said while speaking during a National Assembly session.

The remarks come against the backdrop of a 20-point Gaza peace plan announced by US President Donald Trump, which includes a ceasefire, a swap of hostages held by Hamas for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody, a phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, Hamas disarmament, and the establishment of a transitional government under an international body.

The US president had unveiled the proposal after a meeting with leaders of eight Muslim countries including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, Pakistan, Turkey and Indonesia.

Just hours before the US president’s announcement, PM Shehbaz Sharif had welcomed Trump's plan, saying a durable peace between the Palestinian people and Israel is essential for regional stability and economic growth.

However, since then, Pakistan has somewhat distanced itself from President Trump's plan, with DPM Dar previously clarifying that the proposal was not the one that contained all of Pakistan’s suggestions.

Recalling the intent behind the Muslim countries' engagement with the US on the issue, DPM Dar noted that it was an attempt to engage the US, which he said was the last hope, together with countries to stop the Gaza war as the United Nations, the UN Security Council and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) had failed to do so.

"The plan was to engage President Trump together," DPM Dar said, adding: "Gaza is the graveyard of global consciousness".

Reflecting on President Trump's meeting with Muslim leaders on the sidelines of the 80th UNGA session, the politician said that the former was told that what was happening in Gaza was embarrassing, and if it cannot be stopped, then what's the point of the UNGA and the UNSC.

President Trump, he noted, took this positively and said that his team will sit with the Muslim countries and try to present a workable solution within 48 to 72 hours.

Following that, the DPM said that a meeting was held in Qatar's embassy, which was not made public, and which was also attended by President Trump's team, which presented Washington's 20-point proposal, which was then discussed separately among the Muslim countries later on.

We decided to stay within the framework, and to amend the existing proposal and incorporate our own wishes, Dar said while noting that three meetings were held to discuss and exchange inputs and suggestions.

"The final draft, prepared by all eight countries, was then presented to the US."

However, the DPM recalled that following Trump's announcement of the Gaza peace plan, the Saudi FM then reached out and informed him that the US had accepted most of their urgent suggestions, but there was a need to engage them on other issues.

The Saudi FM, he added, highlighted that there were two options, i.e., either to continue the engagements and talks, which would suit Israel, allowing it to continue its war, or let the 20-point plan be implemented and issue a joint statement.

Dar said that he agreed with the latter option.

Responding to the criticism concerning PM Shehbaz's reaction of welcoming President Trump's Gaza plan, the FM said that the premier was in transit and had other engagements and had in fact only responded to a tweet made by the US president in broader context.

How can someone know that the 20 points were not the same as those proposed by the eight Muslim countries, he questioned.

Assuring the House that there will be a follow-up on the Gaza peace plan by Muslim countries, the DPM said that Pakistan's policy towards Palestine is the same as that of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and that there has been no change in it, nor will be changed in the future.

Ex-Senator Mushtaq's release

Providing an update on the Global Sumud Flotilla activists detained by Israel, who were attempting to break Tel Aviv's blockade, DPM Dar said that Pakistan's former Senator Mushtaq Ahmed was among the detainees as per the unconfirmed information available with them.

We have engaged a third influential European country and are using their diplomatic process and have asked them to ensure ex-Senator Mushtaq's release.

Noting that there was only one Pakistani among the Gaza aid flotilla detainees in Israel, he said that there has been no progress so far in the matter as per the European country's foreign ministry and that further information will be provided by Sunday.

The FM, however, avoided naming the country with which Pakistan is engaging in this regard.

Touching upon the controversy surrounding columnist Shama Junejo's presence in the UNSC Session on September 24, direclty behind Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, DPM Dar said that her name was not included in the "Letter of Credence" issued by him concerning the official delegation for participation in the UNGA session.

However, he noted that there's another list of PM's entourage, including security personnel, valets, speech writers etc, did in fact feature Junejo's name.

The said columnist, who had made pro-Israel social media posts in the past, has claimed that PM Shehbaz personally tasked her with drafting his UNGA speech and included her in the delegation with her name listed as an adviser.

Expressing his views on Pakistan's Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement (SMDA) with Saudi Arabia, the DPM noted that other countries also expressed interest and even reached out during the UNGA session.

"If more countries join, it will become an 'Eastern Nato'," he remarked while referring to the agreement inked between Islamabad and Riyadh wehreby any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both.