LAHORE/ISLAMABAD; Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Tuesday outrightly rejected US President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza, describing it as a blueprint for Israel’s expansion rather than a roadmap for Palestinian statehood or the liberation of Jerusalem.
Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, Fazl declared: “Today belongs to Trump and Netanyahu.” He argued that the plan, unveiled a day earlier in Washington by Trump alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, ignored the fundamental realities of the conflict.
The US plan calls for a ceasefire, hostage exchange, demilitarisation of Gaza, and the establishment of a transitional governance structure.
It explicitly rules out any role for Hamas in Gaza’s future, with Trump stating that “Hamas and other terror organisations will play no role in the governance of Gaza.”
Fazlur Rehman countered that Hamas is a legitimately elected party representing Palestinians, and sidelining it amounts to “forcing a decision” on the people of Gaza.
“The Palestinian question can never be resolved without recognising Hamas as a key stakeholder,” he stressed, accusing Washington of openly backing Netanyahu’s “criminal policies.”
The JUI-F chief added: “Israel does not recognise Palestine, and Palestine does not recognise Israel. In such circumstances, a two-state solution may be a suggestion or wish, but no one can impose it on the Palestinian people.”
Fazl also criticised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir for endorsing Trump’s initiative, saying their shifting statements reveal “contradictions.”
Trump himself, during his press conference, had thanked both leaders, claiming Pakistan backed the plan “100 per cent.”
Separately, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) also expressed “deep concern” over the US initiative, saying it undermines international law and Palestinian rights.
PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram stated on X that recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and accepting the occupied Syrian Golan Heights as Israeli territory “violates UN resolutions and global efforts for peace.”
The statement reiterated former prime minister Imran Khan’s stance that peace in the Middle East can only be achieved through a “just two-state solution” reflecting the aspirations of the Palestinian people.
