ISLAMABAD(National times)- Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif left for Egypt today (Monday) to participate in the Peace Summit and attend the signing ceremony of the peace agreement aimed at ending the prevailing grave situation in Gaza. He is paying the visit at the invitation of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and US President Donald Trump. He is accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and other senior ministers during the visit. According to the Foreign Office, the Sharm El-Sheikh Summit is the result of the diplomatic efforts that began on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly’s 80th session in New York last month. Prime Minister Shehbaz, along with the leaders of seven Arab-Islamic countries including Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Indonesia, and Türkiye, attended a summit-level meeting with the President of the United States on 23 September 2025 to explore avenues for achieving peace in Gaza. Through a joint statement, these Arab-Islamic countries welcomed President Trump’s efforts to achieve peace and reaffirmed their joint commitment to work with the United States to achieve a comprehensive and sustainable ceasefire and to address the critical humanitarian conditions in Gaza. Prime Minister’s participation in the Summit reflects Pakistan’s historic, consistent, and unwavering support for the just cause of the Palestinian people for their right to self-determination as well as for achieving lasting peace and stability in the region. Pakistan hopes that the Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit will pave the way for full Israeli withdrawal, protection of Palestinian civilians, an end to their displacement, release of prisoners, addressing of the prevailing grave humanitarian situation, as well as reconstruction of Gaza. Pakistan also hopes that such efforts will contribute to a credible political process aimed at achieving an independent, viable, and contiguous State of Palestine, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, based on pre-1967 borders, in line with relevant UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.