Islamabad (National Times) Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal on Friday defended the government’s decision to join the US President Donald Trump-led Board of Peace, aimed at ensuring lasting peace in Gaza, terming the move a “diplomatic success” for Pakistan.

“Pakistan doesn’t need lessons from anyone on national security and should not be accused of cowardice or negligence,” the minister said while speaking at the joint sitting of Parliament in response to the remarks made by Opposition Leader in the Senate, Allama Raja Nasir Abbas.

US President Donald Trump kicked off his new “Board of Peace” at Davos on Thursday, with world leaders, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, signing on to pursue a lasting agreement for Gaza.

A group of leaders and senior officials from 19 countries — including Trump allies from Argentina and Hungary — gathered on stage with the US president to put their names to the founding charter of the body.

Trump was the first to sign the charter, who later witnessed the ceremony held on the sidelines of the 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF). Pakistan had received the invitation from President Trump to join the Board, which was later accepted.

During today’s session, Iqbal maintained that joining the Gaza Peace Board was a calculated step to help stop Israel’s ongoing oppression of Palestinians, stressing that Pakistan’s principled stance against Israel had not changed.

He said Pakistan considers Israel an aggressor whose hands are soaked in the blood of innocent Palestinian people, adding that the government supports the creation of an independent Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 borders.

The minister argued that had Pakistan stayed out of the forum, the opposition would have claimed the country had been isolated.

Iqbal further said Pakistan should instead be welcomed for securing an important role at a critical time, adding that the ceasefire currently in place in Gaza was the result of efforts by eight Islamic countries.

Earlier, opposition parties protested during the joint parliamentary session over Pakistan’s participation in the Gaza Peace Board.

Abbas said that what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to achieve was now being pursued under the banner of a “peace board.” He complained that Pakistan had joined the forum without national consensus and that lawmakers were not informed about its terms.

Meanwhile, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman also criticised the decision, saying US President Donald Trump was strengthening Israeli aggression and issuing threats to Hamas.

He questioned Pakistan’s participation in a forum that, in his view, began with threats rather than peace, and alleged that the prime minister neither took parliament nor the cabinet into confidence before making the decision.