LAHORE: Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday, departed for Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, on a special invitation from U.S. President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to attend the Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit aimed at negotiating a ceasefire in Gaza.
The Prime Minister is accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar and Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar as part of the official delegation.
During the visit, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will attend the signing ceremony of the Gaza Peace Agreement, which will also be attended by President Donald Trump, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and other prominent world leaders.
The peace summit is the culmination of special efforts made by President Trump, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Arab-Islamic leaders during the United Nations General Assembly to secure a ceasefire and establish lasting peace in Gaza.
In a joint declaration issued earlier, the participating nations, including Pakistan, welcomed President Trump’s plan for a Gaza ceasefire, sustainable peace, and regional development.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s participation in the summit underscores Pakistan’s firm support for the rights of the Palestinian people and its commitment to providing them with all possible political and diplomatic assistance.
Pakistan hopes that the peace summit and the signing of the agreement will bring an end to the ongoing atrocities in Gaza, ensure the withdrawal of Israeli forces, facilitate the return and safety of displaced Palestinians, lead to the release of prisoners, and pave the way for reconstruction in a peaceful environment.
Islamabad remains optimistic that these developments will help realize the long-standing dream of durable peace in the Middle East and lead to the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state, in accordance with UN resolutions and the aspirations of the Palestinian people, with pre-1967 borders and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
