Pakistan’s plan to send troops to Gaza becomes national flashpoint: Report

Islamabad, Nov 17 (IANS) Pakistan’s Field Marshal Asim Munir, once regarded as a “defender” of Muslim causes is now facing scathing criticism, accused of bartering Pakistan’s principles for personal or institutional benefit, a report said on Monday.

It added that, both in the Pakistani media and on the streets, allegations of greed and betrayal are being levelled against Munir who is reported to have struck a deal with Washington — and even directly with Israel — in return for financial incentives or political concessions, effectively turning Pakistani army into a mercenary force in Gaza.

“Pakistan is on the verge of sending its soldiers into Gaza as part of an International Stabilization Force (ISF) – a move shrouded in confusion and risk. Under a US-brokered post-war peace plan, an International Stabilization Force (ISF) is being formed to take control of Gaza once active combat subsides. Pakistani officials have been in secret discussions about joining this force, which would mainly comprise troops from Muslim-majority countries,” a report in European Times detailed.

“The ISF’s stated mission seems harmless, which includes maintaining internal security in Gaza, disarming Hamas, protecting border crossings, and overseeing humanitarian and reconstruction efforts, but its implications are explosive. In effect, Pakistani personnel would be tasked with dismantling the Hamas network and ensuring Gaza remains pacified under a framework palatable to Israel’s security interests,” it added.

According to the report, the proposed deployment of Pakistani troops to Gaza has triggered strong backlash. The idea that Pakistani forces could play a role in implementing a security arrangement that indirectly benefits Israel, has sparked outrage domestically and across the Muslim world.

“If Pakistani troops end up coordinating with Israel to disarm Hamas, ordinary Pakistanis will view it ‘not as peacekeeping, but as complicity with Israel’s strategic goals’. Public sentiment in Pakistan is overwhelmingly pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel, so this stark reversal is seen as nothing less than a betrayal of the Palestinian cause,” it stressed.

The report emphasised that critics have voiced strong opposition, labelling leaders in Pakistan and other Muslim nations who expressed openness to the US Gaza plan as “traitors to the Ummah”.

It said that globally, key Muslim allies have raised concerns with countries like Iran, Turkey, and Qatar reportedly viewing Pakistan’s move as yielding to Western interests and betraying the Palestinian people. In effect, the report said, by considering this deployment, Pakistan risks isolating itself from the very Islamic world whose cause it claims to uphold.

Citing multiple reports it stated that General Munir has been discreetly engaging with American and Israeli officials for months on matters related to Gaza. In exchange, Western capitals would reportedly bail out Pakistan’s ailing economy through financial incentives, including leniency on World Bank loans, deferred debt repayments, and fresh funding from wealthy Gulf states.

“Pakistan’s plan to send troops to Gaza has become a national and international flashpoint. What the government frames as a peacekeeping contribution, critics at home call an unforgivable sell-out,” the report noted.

–IANS

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