ISLAMABAD (TNS) Pakistan Prime Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif had a pleasant meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on the sidelines of the peace summit held in the Egyptian city of Sharm El-Sheikh, in which both leaders expressed satisfaction over the ceasefire in Gaza
The Sharm El-Sheikh summit is actually the result of diplomatic efforts that began last month on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The Palestinian resistance group ‘Hamas’ handed over all 20 living Israeli hostages in Gaza to the International Committee of the Red Cross in 2 phases after the ceasefire agreement on Monday. The process of releasing Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails has also begun and 38 buses of prisoners have reached Gaza from Israel.
It should be noted that an arrest warrant is currently pending against Netanyahu by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of war crimes in Gaza. Over the past 2 years, more than 67,000 Palestinians have been martyred as a result of the atrocities committed by the Zionist state in Gaza.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan discussed the possibilities of establishing peace in Gaza during his meeting with the US President on September 23, 2025, along with the heads of seven Arab and Islamic countries – Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia and Turkey.
The Arab and Islamic countries, through a joint statement, appreciated President Trump’s efforts to achieve peace and reiterated their commitment to work together with the US to establish a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire and address the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.
A statement issued by the Prime Minister of Pakistan’s Office stated that Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa was also present during the meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The statement said that on this occasion, President Mahmoud Abbas thanked Pakistan for its constant support for the Palestinians and their assistance on the political and diplomatic front. It was further informed that the two leaders had a warm informal meeting and discussions before signing the ceasefire agreement in Sharm El-Sheikh. On this occasion, both leaders said that the long-standing brotherly relations between Palestine and Pakistan are exemplary, which the leadership and people of both countries are proud of. On this occasion, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif paid tribute to the brave people of Gaza for enduring difficulties with courage and bravery in the past years. The leaders expressed satisfaction with the ceasefire in Gaza and called it a precursor to peace in the region and the development of the Palestinians. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif met with several world leaders on the sidelines of the Peace Summit held in Sharm El-Sheikh. The leaders expressed satisfaction with the ceasefire in Gaza and called it a precursor to peace in the region and the development of the Palestinians. According to the statement, the Prime Minister met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, in which both leaders expressed satisfaction with the ceasefire in Gaza. On this occasion, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also participated in the meeting and discussion. The Prime Minister also met with King Abdullah II of Jordan, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The Prime Minister also met with Indonesian President Prabodh Sobhan, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. Measures for peace in the region were discussed in the meetings. The Prime Minister reiterated Pakistan’s solidarity with the Palestinian people and their continued diplomatic and moral support.
It should be noted that Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif arrived in Sharm El-Sheikh at the special invitation of US President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Upon arrival at the Sharm El-Sheikh airport in Egypt, the Prime Minister was received by Egyptian Minister of Youth and Sports Dr. Ashraf Sobhi, Pakistani Ambassador Amir Shaukat and senior Pakistani and Egyptian diplomatic staff.
The Prime Minister of Pakistan will attend the Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit for the Gaza ceasefire, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar are also part of the delegation along with the Prime Minister.
Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahbaz Sharif, along with US President Donald Trump, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, will attend the signing ceremony of the Gaza Peace Agreement.
The Prime Minister’s participation in this summit reflects Pakistan’s historic, consistent and unwavering support for the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and their just cause, as well as Pakistan’s commitment to establishing lasting peace and stability in the region.
Pakistan hopes that the Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit will pave the way for a complete Israeli withdrawal, protection of Palestinian civilians, an end to their forced displacement, the release of prisoners, a resolution to the ongoing grave humanitarian crisis and the reconstruction of Gaza.
Pakistan also hopes that these efforts will contribute to a credible political process aimed at the establishment of an independent, sovereign, viable and contiguous State of Palestine, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, based on the pre-1967 borders, and in accordance with relevant UN resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative.On the other hand, before the signing ceremony of the Gaza ceasefire agreement, left-wing MPs protested and chanted slogans in favor of Palestine during US President Donald Trump’s address to the Israeli parliament, but a security official removed the protesting MP from the house. It should be noted that the US President, during his address to the Israeli parliament, described the release of Israeli hostages as a historic moment and said that this is the beginning of a new historical era in the Middle East and that this is not just the end of the war but the beginning of a new hope. The US President said that Arab and Muslim countries played an important role in the Gaza peace agreement and that this is not just the end of the war but a new hope and the beginning of a new historical era in the Middle East. Donald Trump said that America stood by Israel in difficult times and Israel won everything that could be won by force. This is the beginning of a new historical era in the Middle East, the people of Gaza should now focus on reconstruction, this is an extraordinary achievement for Israel and the whole world. Arab and Muslim leaders came together to pressure Hamas to release the hostages, and that helped us a lot, many people you wouldn’t expect, and I want to thank them all from the bottom of my heart. From Gaza to Iran, these bitter hatreds have brought nothing but misery, pain and failure, while the successes against terrorists should be transformed into peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East. It is an extraordinary achievement for Israel and the entire world that all these countries are working together as partners for peace. He said that after two years of darkness and captivity, 20 hostages are returning to their families, the release of the Israeli hostages is a historic moment, it is not just the end of a war but the beginning of a new hope. During the US President’s speech, two left-wing members of parliament protested and shouted in favor of Palestine. The protesting member was taken out by security personnel, to which Trump said that the security authorities worked very diligently. The Qatari Broadcasting Agency reported that a protest was held in the House by Israeli MP Ayman Odeh, who wrote in his post on ‘X’ a few hours ago that ‘the level of hypocrisy in the House is unbearable.’ He said that praising Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu with such unprecedented flattery, placing him on the throne by an organized group, neither absolves him nor his government from the crimes against humanity committed in Gaza nor the blood of thousands of Israelis and millions of Palestinian victims. The Israeli MP further said that I am here only because of the ceasefire and the agreement, only by ending the occupation and recognizing the state of Palestine with Israel is justice, peace and security possible for all.During his speech, the US president praised several members of his administration for making the Israel-Hamas ceasefire possible, including Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Trump said that the “Hezbollah dagger” in Lebanon that was raised towards Israel has now been completely broken, and that my administration fully supports the new Lebanese president and his mission. He added that the goal of this support is to permanently disarm Hezbollah’s brigades and they are doing this very well. Our goal is to build a prosperous state that lives in peace with its neighbors, and you all strongly support that. Donald Trump mentioned the Palestinians during his speech, but did not mention their decades-old struggle for self-determination and statehood. He said that the choice for the Palestinians could not be clearer, this is their opportunity to turn away from the path of terrorism and violence, which has gone to extremes, and to eliminate the forces of hatred in their midst, and I think it is going to happen. Over the past few months, I have met some people who want to see this happen. He added that after the immense loss of life, suffering and hardship, it is time for them to focus on building their people instead of belittling Israel. On the other hand, analysts have said that through ongoing military and diplomatic support for Israel, the United States has long been a central player in fueling violence in the region. The US president expressed hope for a peace deal with Iran, saying that if a peace deal is reached with Iran, it would be a wonderful thing, while the Iranian people “want to live.” Trump criticized former US President Barack Obama for signing the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, calling it a “disaster.” He said that the Iranian regime has caused countless deaths in the Middle East, but despite this, the hand of friendship and cooperation is still open to them, they want to make a deal, we will see if we can do something. Donald Trump’s statement was met with a deep silence from lawmakers in the Israeli parliament. The US president urged his Israeli counterpart to acquit Netanyahu of corruption charges. Trump called on Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Netanyahu, who faces corruption charges. The Israeli prime minister and his parliamentary allies welcomed Trump’s words and expressed their joy by clapping. Finally, the US President said that we are going to build a legacy that all the people of this region will be proud of, new relationships of friendship, cooperation and trade will be established. On the other hand, Hamas handed over all 20 living Israeli hostages in Gaza to the International Committee of the Red Cross in two stages after the ceasefire agreement on Monday. The process of releasing Palestinian prisoners from Israeli jails has also begun and 38 buses of prisoners have reached Gaza from Israel. According to the report, the Israeli state broadcaster reported that Hamas handed over all 20 living Israeli hostages to Red Cross representatives in Gaza on Monday. The hostages were released in two stages, in the second stage, 13 hostages were transferred to the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. This ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which is being described as the biggest step towards ending the two-year war, is an attempt to pave the way for a lasting peace. In Israel, people gathered near the military camp Reim near Gaza, waving Israeli flags, where the hostages were brought. Hundreds also gathered in Tel Aviv’s “Hostage Square,” holding Israeli flags and holding up posters with pictures of the hostages. About a dozen masked gunmen, believed to be members of Hamas’s military wing, arrived at Nasr Hospital in southern Gaza, where some of the hostages were being handed over to the Red Cross. The gunmen were seen standing in a line near several ambulances, and chairs were lined up in a sandy area, where a brief reception was held. In other news, 38 buses carrying Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli custody arrived in Gaza, as part of the deal to free 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. The two-year war, which gradually turned into a regional conflict and in which countries such as Iran, Yemen and Lebanon were also involved, after which this ceasefire and the exchange of hostages and prisoners took place, this war not only increased Israel’s international isolation but also changed the political map of the Middle East. The US President said in a conversation on Air Force One while leaving Washington for Israel that “the war is over. I think things will now return to normal.”
