US President Donald Trump has invited Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to join a newly proposed Board of Peace on Gaza, a development confirmed by Pakistan’s foreign office. Islamabad has said it will remain engaged with international peace efforts aimed at achieving a lasting resolution to the Palestine issue in line with United Nations resolutions.
According to Indian intelligence sources, Pakistan’s inclusion in the Gaza peace framework is largely symbolic rather than operational. While the move may elevate Pakistan’s diplomatic visibility on the global stage, its actual influence on outcomes in Gaza is expected to be limited.
Intelligence officials described the outreach as narrative-driven, suggesting that Washington’s decision is more about optics and strategic messaging than concrete policymaking. “Pakistan’s role will have minimal operational impact on Gaza, but it serves US interests by projecting Washington as the central coordinator of peace efforts,” sources said. They added that the move also sends indirect signals to China and key Gulf nations, testing Pakistan’s diplomatic alignment beyond its traditional partners.
Pakistan has publicly aligned itself with UN-backed resolutions on Gaza, with officials indicating that the country sees the invitation as part of broader international engagement on peace and security in West Asia.
Meanwhile, diplomatic activity around the invitation is expected to intensify in the coming days. Prime Minister Sharif is likely to meet President Trump on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, where both leaders are scheduled to attend. Sharif is set to travel to Zurich with a high-level delegation that includes federal cabinet ministers. Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir is also expected to accompany him, with security and strategic meetings planned across Europe.
Sources in Islamabad indicated that Sharif may also make a brief stop in London on his return journey for private engagements.
For India, analysts view the development with caution but not alarm. Intelligence assessments suggest that while Pakistan may seek to leverage the Gaza platform to reshape regional narratives and boost its global standing, the move does not fundamentally alter the strategic balance or India’s position in the region.