Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif arrives in Washington DC to attend the inaugural session of the Peace Council. Washington, February 19, 2026. PHOTO: EXPRESS
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Washington to participate in the “Peace Council”, after Pakistan denied wanting to join the International Stabilization Force to demilitarize Hamas.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Information and Broadcasting Minister Attaullah Tarar and Special Assistant Tariq Fatemi are accompanying the Prime Minister in the Pakistani delegation, alongside delegations from 20 other countries.
According to the statement, the Prime Minister will attend the Peace Council meeting in Washington today, and high-level meetings between the Prime Minister and US officials are also expected in Washington.
Before Pakistan commits to sending troops to Gaza as part of the International Stabilization Force (ISF), it wants assurances from the United States that it will be a peacekeeping mission rather than one to disarm Hamas, three sources said. Reuters.
The ISF will operate under the Council’s “Comprehensive Plan”, under US command, tasked with stabilizing Gaza, overseeing humanitarian areas, and protecting civilians during the implementation of the Comprehensive Plan.
Trump, who will chair the meeting, is expected to announce a multibillion-dollar reconstruction plan for Gaza and detail plans for a U.N.-authorized stabilization force for the Palestinian enclave.
Three government sources said during the visit to Washington that Sharif wanted to better understand the ISF’s objective, under what authority they operated and what the chain of command was before deciding to deploy troops.
“We are ready to send troops. Let me clarify that our troops can only participate in a peace mission in Gaza,” said one of the sources, a close associate of Sharif.
“We will not participate in any other role, such as disarming Hamas. That is out of the question,” he said.
“Peace Council”
The “Peace Council,” a transitional governing body established to oversee Gaza and implement the so-called Comprehensive Plan to End the Conflict there, has centralized authority to manage the transition, demobilization, and demilitarization of Gaza, and it can issue resolutions, form subcommittees, and amend civil and criminal laws under the direction and control of its president.
It is chaired for life by Donald Trump, which gives him broad authority over decisions, appointments and the direction of operations.
The Council oversees a National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a technocratic body of Palestinians, whose decision-making power is consolidated with the Council and its high representative.
The document also describes the creation of an International Stabilization Force (ISF), initially led by the United States and placed under the operational command of a US major general. The ISF will contribute to security, humanitarian protection and control of civilian protection corridors.
Pakistan is not represented on the Gaza Executive Council, meaning it will not directly influence decisions there.
Learn more: Pakistan’s decision to join Trump’s ‘Peace Council’ draws mixed reactions
Officials have defended Pakistan’s decision to join the council while critics warn that the council’s structure centralizes power and marginalizes Palestinian action, expressing concern that there will be future pressure to participate in actions that Pakistan opposes, such as efforts regarding Hamas.
