LONDON, Jan 25 : Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the federal cabinet had authorised him to join the US-led Board of Peace, expressing hope that the initiative would help bring lasting peace to Gaza and ensure the protection of the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people.
Speaking to domestic media outside the Pakistan High Commission in London, Sharif said he took part in discussions at the World Economic Forum in Davos at the invitation of US President Donald Trump, who had asked him to join the Board of Peace.
The premier said Pakistan supported the initiative in the expectation that Gaza would be rebuilt and Palestinians would receive their legitimate rights with “dignity and respect”.
“We have hope that there will be peace in Gaza, that Palestinians will receive the respect they deserve and that Gaza will be reconstructed,” Sharif said.
He described his engagements on the sidelines of the Davos forum as “very good” and productive, saying they provided an opportunity to discuss global peace efforts as well as economic cooperation and investment.
Before addressing the media, the prime minister met a delegation of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) UK chapter, led by party president Ahsan Dar and Young Wing president Khurram Butt, at the High Commission.
Talking about his meeting with the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva, Sharif noted it to be a positive one, though he did not share details regarding what transpired.
Expressing his intent to bolster the country’s crippled economy, Sharif said that Islamabad will continue to engage with the global money lender and other world financial institutions constructively in order to stabilise its economy.
Pakistan is currently under its 24th International Monetary Fund (IMF) program, which includes an Extended Fund Facility (EFF) loan intended to stabilize the economy and manage debt vulnerabilities. As of January 2026, the outstanding IMF credit is over $7.35 billion.
Pakistan’s external debt (the money owed to foreign entities in foreign currency) stands at USD134.48 billion as of September 2025.
