Pakistan joins Trump’s 'Board of Peace' as PM Shehbaz signs charter in Davos

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday signed the charter of the newly formed “Board of Peace,” an initiative led by United States President Donald Trump, during a high-level gathering in Davos, Switzerland.

The proposed body was initially conceived as a platform to address Israel’s war on Gaza, though the charter itself does not limit the board’s scope to the occupied Palestinian territory alone.

Following a speech by President Trump, leaders and representatives from several countries were invited to sign the charter. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner also addressed the meeting.

Speaking about the participating leaders, Trump said, “Every one of them are friends of mine. I like every single one of them.” He added that interest in the initiative was widespread, saying, “Just about every country wants to be a part of it. We sent out the letters a couple of days ago and countries that are here just happened to be in Davos.”

Praising those present, Trump told the gathering, “Everybody in this room is a star....There’s a reason that you’re here. When you use that inspired genius for peace, the opposite of peace has no chance.”

At the start of his address, he also acknowledged the diverse political standing of the leaders in attendance. “Each and every one of you, we are truly honoured by your presence today. Leaders of countries, in most cases, very popular leaders; in some cases, not so popular,” he said.

Prime Minister Shehbaz was seated among the attendees after Pakistan formally accepted Trump’s invitation to join the Board of Peace a day earlier.

During his remarks, Trump also touched on the Gaza ceasefire, warning that Hamas must disarm as part of the agreement. “They have to give up their weapons, and if they don’t do that, it’s going to be the end of them,” he said.