Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ meeting on Thursday highlighted Islamabad’s waning diplomatic influence, as leaders from dozens of countries were prominently featured in the new peace initiative while Sharif cut a lonely figure
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appeared sidelined at US President Donald Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ meeting on Thursday, in what was expected to showcase Pakistan’s return to global relevance.
The event highlighted Islamabad’s diminishing diplomatic weight, as leaders from dozens of countries were prominently featured in Trump’s new peace initiative while Sharif cut a lonely figure.
BACK OF THE “PAK”!
At the first formal meeting of the Gaza Board of Peace in Washington, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif looks like an extra not a central player. pic.twitter.com/2ZgpeikZGj— Rahul Shivshankar (@RShivshankar) February 19, 2026
According to a News18 report, citing diplomatic sources, despite receiving a formal invitation, Pakistan struggled to project influence or clarity — particularly on Gaza, the central issue driving Washington’s initiative.
The sources described the Pakistani delegation as uncomfortable and marginalised during the proceedings.
Pushed to the margins
According to the report, PM Sharif was not given a central position during the official group photograph — a subtle but significant detail in diplomatic optics.
While US President Donald Trump stood front and centre alongside Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, leaders from Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Qatar were positioned directly behind him. Sharif, by contrast, was pushed to the margins.
The source described Sharif’s demeanour as “weird” and uneasy, suggesting a delegation uncertain of Pakistan’s role in Trump’s broader diplomatic agenda.
Gaza question exposes Pak
The unease extended beyond diplomatic optics. A key point of friction remains Pakistan’s unclear position on Gaza.
The ‘Board of Peace’ expects participating countries to contribute thousands of personnel to an international stabilisation and policing force.
Despite earlier indications of readiness, Pakistan is now “reluctant to deploy troops,” a diplomatic source was quoted as saying
That hesitation appears to have carried consequences. When President Trump publicly named countries expected to contribute forces — including Indonesia, Morocco, Albania, Kosovo, Kazakhstan, Egypt and Jordan — Pakistan was notably absent.
The omission reinforced perceptions that Islamabad’s rhetoric has not been matched by firm commitments.
Trump’s public praise
If PM Sharif appeared sidelined earlier, Trump later offered public praise for both him and Pakistan’s Army Chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir.
“I like this guy,” Trump said of Sharif, while recalling last year’s India-Pakistan crisis. Turning to Munir, Trump added, “Prime Minister Sharif, I like this man. There was some firing going on when I got to know him and your Field Marshal Asim Munir, he is a great guy.”
Trump then quoted Munir as saying, “Do you know nobody knows but I believe that President Trump saved 25 millions lives when he stopped the war between us and India.”
For Pakistan, however, the praise appeared less like strategic endorsement and more like diplomatic reassurance.
With inputs from agencies
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