Dignity of Palestinians a primary concern for Pakistan, says premier, as Malaysia pledges peacekeepers for Gaza
Kuala Lumpur ready to deploy peacekeeping troops to Gaza if requested by UN, Arab League, or Organization of Islamic Cooperation, says Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim
File Photo
ISLAMABAD
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed Islamabad's unwavering support for the Palestinian cause on Tuesday, while Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Kuala Lumpur is prepared to deploy peacekeeping forces in Gaza.
Following his departure from Sharm el-Sheikh after attending the Gaza Peace Summit, Sharif said that the Palestinian people's freedom, dignity, and prosperity are "a primary concern for Pakistan."
"InshaAllah (God willing), the establishment of a strong and viable Palestinian state with pre-1967 borders and Al Quds Al Sharif as its capital remains the bedrock of Pakistan’s Middle East policy and will remain so," he wrote on the US social media company X.
"The most important priority for Pakistan was the immediate cessation of the genocidal campaign imposed on Gaza," he said, lauding US President Donald Trump’s role.
The Trump presidency "is anchored in him promising that he would make it stop and delivering on that promise," Sharif said.
Egypt hosted a Gaza peace summit on Monday, bringing an end to Israel's two-year genocide against Palestinians.
Separately, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday expressed Kuala Lumpur's readiness to deploy peacekeeping troops to Gaza if requested by the UN, the Arab League, or the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
He told the parliament that Malaysia has never said "no" in the past and has always sent troops whenever peacekeeping forces were required, according to the daily Malay Mail.
"I agree that a peacekeeping mission is among the best guarantees to ensure security in Gaza," he said.
Indonesia has also pledged 20,000 troops for deployment in Gaza.
Earlier Monday, the release of Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli jails began after Hamas freed all 20 living Israeli captives held in the Gaza Strip.
Phase two of the US deal calls for the establishment of a new governing mechanism in Gaza, the formation of a multinational force, and the disarmament of Hamas.
Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed more than 67,800 Palestinians in Gaza, most of them women and children, leaving the enclave largely uninhabitable.
