Reporting snapshot · 18 January 2026. Pakistan's response to the invitation, and the board's own structure, are still being worked out; this article reflects what the Foreign Office and the source report said on the day.
What happened
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has received an invitation from United States President Donald Trump to join the Board of Peace on Gaza, Pakistan’s Foreign Office confirmed on Sunday 18 January 2026.
Responding to media queries, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said: “Pakistan will remain engaged with international efforts for peace and security in Gaza, leading to a lasting solution to the Palestine issue in accordance with United Nations resolutions.” The ministry said Pakistan had reiterated at international forums its readiness to play a “constructive role” in the US peace plan for Palestine.
The confirmation followed a weekend of announcements around the body. Trump’s “Board of Peace” for postwar Gaza began to take shape on Saturday, with the leaders of Egypt, Turkey, Argentina and Canada asked to join. The US president had already named Secretary of State Marco Rubio, former British prime minister Tony Blair, and senior negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff to the panel, and had declared himself its chair.
Why it matters
The invitation places Pakistan among about 60 governments asked to join a US-led body that the White House says will handle “governance capacity-building, regional relations, reconstruction, investment attraction, large-scale funding and capital mobilisation” in Gaza.
Pakistan has tried to balance its public support for the Palestinian cause with its relationship with Washington. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said last month that Pakistan’s civil and military leadership was fully aligned on not sending troops to Gaza to disarm Hamas, signalling the limits of any role Islamabad is prepared to take on.
A draft charter sent to the invited countries calls for members to contribute $1 billion in cash if they want their membership to last more than three years, according to the document seen by Reuters. It states that a member state’s term “shall be no more than three years from this Charter’s entry into force, subject to renewal by the Chairman”, with an exception for those contributing more than $1,000,000,000 in the first year.
What is still uncertain
The Foreign Office’s statement did not say whether Pakistan had accepted the invitation, what form its participation would take, or whether it would contribute financially. The board’s membership, funding model and relationship to existing Palestinian governance arrangements remained unsettled. The announcements from Egypt, Turkey and Canada described those governments as studying or considering the request, and the White House had not published a final list of members by the editorial cutoff.
Sources & reporting notes
This article summarises published reporting and is not eyewitness reconstruction. Sources were reviewed on 18 January 2026.
- Geo News — Pakistan receives US invitation to join Board of Peace on Gaza18 January 2026 · Foreign Office confirmation, the spokesperson's statement and the board's formation, drawing on AFP and Reuters.