PRIME Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other world leaders on Thursday signed the charter for the “Board of Peace” (BoP) headed by United States President Donald Trump, who has billed the body as a platform for resolving international conflicts.
Leaders and officials from Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Hungary, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Mongolia, Morocco, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, the United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan also signed the document with Trump. It may be pointed out that apart from the US, no other permanent member of the UNSC — the five nations with the most say over international law and diplomacy since the end of World War Two — has so far committed to join and their ultimate decisions will have implications both for the existing UN system and the long term fate of the Board itself.
The signing of the charter marks the official launching of an organization that is seen by cautious analysts and commentators as a rival to the United Nations but President Trump clarified that the body will work “in conjunction” with the UN. However, irrespective of whether the BoP works within the framework of the world body or without, there are apprehensions that the US President might use the forum to advance his own agenda and that of Israel. The Board is supposed to promote the cause of peace across the globe but President Trump is in the habit of imposing his will on others, strengthening fears about misuse of the forum for objectives that run contrary to the UN charter. The apprehensions are not misplaced given almost daily threats by President Trump to Hamas despite the fact that it is Israel and not Hamas that poses challenges to implementation of any peace plan for Gaza. It is unfortunate that Israel goes scot free despite frequent violations of the ceasefire and killing of innocent Gazans but intimidations and threats are hurled on the oppressed and not aggressor. The BoP charter, therefore, needs clarity and provisions granting sweeping veto powers to the Chairman must be reviewed to make it a true voice of those who believe in regional and global peace and security.
Similarly, the presence of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, known as butcher of Palestinians, on the Board will lose its credibility and make Palestine related decisions and moves controversial. It was because of this that the decision of the Government of Pakistan to join the Board came under intensive criticism in the National Assembly with JUI(F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman who pointed out that Gaza was continuing to be bombed and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Netanyahu would sit “shoulder to shoulder” on this board. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan regretted that the Government decided to join without any internal consultative process, especially without taking the parliament into confidence. The Government, however, maintained that the decision was taken in the interest of the Palestinian people. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said Pakistan’s decision to join the board was guided by national interest and the collective priorities of the Muslim Ummah, not political considerations. He noted that UN Security Council resolutions called for a permanent ceasefire and reconstruction of Gaza, adding that Pakistan’s participation in the board aimed to support these efforts while safeguarding both Palestinian and national interests. This is, of course, a simplistic view of a complex issue and only time will prove whether or not Pakistan and other countries joining on the assumption of playing a role in defending the legitimate cause of Palestinian people will be able to do so. Rightly or wrongly, Pakistan has joined the new platform but prudence demands it should not become part of the arrangement to disarm Hamas.
