‘Not Ours’: Pakistan Backtracks On Gaza Plan Days After Donald Trump’s Praise For Support

In a significant diplomatic reversal, Pakistan on Friday appeared to backtrack from its support for US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan, with Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar stating that the 20-point proposal made public by Trump is not aligned with the draft presented by a group of Muslim-majority nations. The statement, made in the Pakistan National Assembly, comes just days after Trump publicly praised Islamabad for its backing of his initiative to end the two-year-long war.

Addressing Pakistani lawmakers, Dar, who also serves as the foreign minister, clarified the government’s position. “I have made it clear that these 20 points which Trump has made public are… not the same as ours. I say that some changes have been made in it, in the draft we had,” he stated. A key point of divergence is the nature of an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. The plan proposed by the Muslim nations called for a “full Israeli withdrawal,” whereas Trump’s version envisages only a partial pullback to facilitate a hostage release.

The move complicates the diplomatic narrative, especially after Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had initially welcomed Trump’s plan. Dar explained that Sharif’s was a “general response” to Trump’s social media post while he was in transit. Dar emphasized that the consensus draft prepared by the eight Muslim nations—including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Turkey—was centered on a “path for a just peace on the basis of the two-state solution.”

Trump’s 20-point blueprint, published on Monday, calls for a ceasefire and the return of all hostages within 72 hours, the disarmament of Hamas, and the redevelopment of a “New Gaza” under a temporary, technocratic government. The plan also proposes a “Board of Peace” led by Trump himself to oversee the process. The White House has been pushing for Arab and Muslim nations to contribute troops and funding for Gaza’s transition and rebuilding.