Pakistan denies backing Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan amid domestic outrage

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told parliament on Friday that the 20-point plan announced by Trump earlier this week was “not ours”, adding that changes were made from the draft that Pakistan and other Muslim-majority states had discussed.

“I have made it clear that these 20 points, which Trump has made public, are not ours. These are not the same as ours. I say that some changes have been made in it, in the draft we had,” Dar said, stressing that Pakistan continues to support a two-state solution based on pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital.

Trump’s plan, unveiled in Washington last week, mandates Hamas to disarm and proposes that Gaza be administered by a “Board of Peace” chaired by the American President.

It also lays out phased Israeli withdrawals, hostage swaps, and Arab-funded reconstruction, but offers no clear pathway to Palestinian statehood.

Announcing the plan, Trump claimed Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir supported it “100 per cent.”

Following the announcement, Sharif welcomed the proposal and said a durable peace between Palestinians and Israel was essential for regional stability.

However, Sharif’s remarks triggered widespread criticism at home. Politicians, analysts, and activists accused the government of betraying the Palestinian cause. The Karachi-based Dawn newspaper reported that many viewed Sharif’s support as a “surrender.”

Former diplomat Abdul Basit told the outlet that the plan amounted to abandoning Palestinian aspirations: “This is a complete surrender by the Muslim world. They can’t even mention a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.”

Allama Raja Nasir, leader of the Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM), called Trump’s proposal “flawed and unjust” and accused it of prioritising Israeli interests while disregarding Palestinian rights.

NDTV reported that Pakistan’s clarification comes amid growing outrage, with the government under pressure to align its foreign policy with long-standing support for Palestine rather than appearing to endorse a US-centric framework.

Despite distancing itself from the public version of Trump’s plan, Dar signaled that Islamabad remains engaged in diplomatic efforts with other Muslim states to push for an immediate ceasefire, humanitarian access, and eventual Palestinian statehood.