Trump says he ‘likes’ PM Shehbaz, mentions ‘tough fighter’ CDF Munir at inaugural Board of Peace meeting – World
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Thursday mentioned Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Asim Munir during the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace in Washington.
In his address, Trump said he had been endorsing candidates in the US, but now he was also endorsing foreign leaders, and went on to name PM Shehbaz among the leaders he was acknowledging at the meeting.
“Prime Minister Sharif — I like this man — of Pakistan. Because there was some fighting going on when I got to know him and your Field Marshal, great general, great Field Marshal, great guy.
“I got to meet the prime minister, and he said in front of our Chief of Staff Susie Wiles … that ‘you know nobody knows this, but I believe that President Trump saved 25 million lives when he stopped the war between us and India’,” Trump recalled.
Addressing PM Shehbaz, he added, “You made that statement … it was really a beautiful thing.”
Referring to the four-day conflict between Pakistan and India in May 2025, he said: “That war was raging, planes were being shot down.
“And it was Pakistan and India, and I got on the phone with both of them. And I knew them a little bit. I knew Prime Minister Modi very well, actually. I got to know Pakistan through a little trade. They were trying to make too good a deal, and I got a little upset with them.
“In the end, they got what they wanted, and they made a good deal, and I got to like them — the prime minister, the Field Marshal, who is a tough man, a tough, good fighter, a serious fighter.”
Trump said he called both Pakistan and India after he got to know about the May conflict, during which “many planes were shot down”.
“I called them and said listen, I am not doing trade deals with you two guys if you don’t settle this up. And they said, ‘No, no no!’ That was both of them … And they do a lot of business with the US and they softened up all of a sudden. A little bit of a pullback by one and then the other, and all of a sudden, we worked out a deal,” Trump said.
He added that he had also warned the two countries of imposing a 200 per cent tariff if they continued to fight.
“One of them, I won’t say which one, said ‘No! You can’t do that’. They both wanted to fight, but when it came to losing a lot of money, they said, ‘We don’t want to fight.’
“And we solved that … in two to three days,” Trump continued, before he thanked Shehbaz.
“That was a very big deal; people have no idea. A lot of them say they weren’t fighting. [But] they were fighting. Eleven jets were shot down, very expensive jets,” he added.
Trump said he believed “a lot of progress was made in the relationship”, adding that Modi was a “great man and a great guy”.
‘Big day’
Trump began his address by saying that “this is a big day”.
“Lots of people watching, especially from other countries […] We have a large group of leaders, and the ones who aren’t here are watching on Zoom. I hope they enjoy it,” he added.
The US president further said, “What we are doing is very simple — peace. It’s called the Board of Peace, and it’s all about — an easy word to say, but a hard word to produce — peace.
“We are going to produce it. We have been doing a really good job, and some of these leaders that are with us have helped me very much.”
He then went on to reiterate his claim of settling eight wars.
“And I think a ninth [was] to come, but it turned out to be a tougher one. I thought that was going to be the easiest one. But, with war, you never know what’s easy and what’s not so easy. But, we have had a great relationship, and I became friendly with so many of the people.
“And I appreciate you being here. These are great people, these are great leaders,” he added.
Trump said the Board of Peace was one of “the most important and consequential things I think that I will be involved in”, again reiterating his claim of settling wars.
He said, “Some of which were 32, 34 or 37 years long. That’s a long time. [But] we ended it within about two days, each one of those. But, we have some other work to do, and we are getting it done.”
On the Gaza issue, he said it was “very complex”, commending US envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, among others, for an “amazing job” in this connection.
He then went on to say that the Board of Peace was “the most consequential board”.
“Certainly, in terms of power and in terms of prestige, there has never been anything close because these are the greatest world leaders,” he said, adding that almost everybody had accepted the invitation to join the board, and those had not would do.
“Some are playing a little cute. This doesn’t work. You can’t play cute with me,” he remarked.
“They are all joining, most of them immediately. A few of them we don’t want because they are trouble. Take care of them,” he added.
Trump then again asserted that the Board of Peace was the “most prestigious ever put together. You know, I have seen great corporate boards. I have seen some great boards, period. It’s peanuts compared to this board. Because we have virtually everyone who is the head of a country”.
He thanked the leaders attending the meeting for travelling long distances, saying that “we work together to ensure a brighter future for the people of Gaza, the Middle East, and the entire world”.
Trump noted that the Board of Peace comprised mostly leaders from the Middle Eastern countries and “countries all over the world”.
“And they have been generous with money also … And there is nothing more important than peace, and there is nothing less expensive than peace. You know when you go to wars, it costs you a hundred times what it costs to make peace,” he added.
Trump first proposed the Board of Peace last September when he announced his plan to end Israel’s war in Gaza. He later made clear the board’s remit would be expanded beyond Gaza to tackle other conflicts worldwide.
The Board of Peace includes Israel but not Palestinian representatives and Trump’s suggestion that the Board could eventually address challenges beyond Gaza has stirred anxiety that it could undermine the United Nations’ role as the main platform for global diplomacy and conflict resolution.
“We’re going to strengthen the United Nations,” Trump said, trying to assuage his critics. “It’s really very important.”
$7bn for Gaza reconstruction
During his speech, Trump also said that $7 billion has been contributed to a Gaza reconstruction fund that aims to rebuild the enclave once Hamas disarms, an objective that is far from becoming a reality.
In a flurry of announcements at the end of a long, winding speech, Trump said the United States will make a contribution of $10bn to the Board of Peace. He said contributing nations had raised $7bn as an initial down payment for Gaza reconstruction.
Trump also said FIFA will raise $75 million for soccer-related projects in Gaza and that the United Nations will chip in $2 billion for humanitarian assistance.
Indonesia to take deputy commander role in ISF
Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority country, will take a deputy commander role in a nascent International Stabilisation Force in Gaza and Morocco will contribute troops, the unit’s American chief announced during the meeting.
“I have offered and Indonesia has accepted the position of deputy commander for the ISF,” Major General Jasper Jeffers said.
Indonesia has said it is ready to send up to 8,000 troops to Gaza if the force is confirmed. The force aims to have 20,000 soldiers, as well as a new police force.
Jeffers confirmed that Morocco had also agreed to send troops, in the first commitment by an Arab country, as well as Albania, Kazakhstan and Kosovo
Trump said he hoped use of force to disarm Hamas would not be necessary. He said Hamas had promised to disarm and it “looks like they’re going to be doing that, but we’ll have to find out.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in Israel that Hamas will be disarmed one way or the other. “Very soon, Hamas will face a dilemma – to disarm peacefully or disarmed forcefully,” he said.
In Gaza, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said any international force must “monitor the ceasefire and prevent the (Israeli) occupation from continuing its aggression”. Disarmament could be discussed, he said, without directly committing to it.
Trump says prospects of deal with Iran will be clear in 10 days
The meeting came as Trump threatens war against Iran and has embarked on a massive military buildup in the region in case Tehran refuses to give up its nuclear programme.
Trump said he should know in 10 days whether a deal is possible. “We have to have a meaningful deal,” he said.
The event had the feel of a Trump campaign rally, with music blaring from his eclectic playlist from Elvis Presley to the Beach Boys. Red Trump hats were given to participants.
PM Shehbaz lands in Washington
PM Shehbaz arrived in Washington DC on Thursday on an official visit to the United States, at the invitation of Trump to attend the meeting.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi are accompanying the premier as part of the Pakistani delegation.
Apart from attending the Board of Peace meeting, PM Shehbaz is also expected to hold meetings with senior US officials during the visit.
According to an official statement by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the visit reflects Pakistan’s inclusion in the Board of Peace, its “effective role for the promotion of global peace” and what it described as the country’s growing diplomatic outreach.
“In addition to attending the inaugural session of the BoP, the prime minister will also engage with senior US leadership, as well as his counterparts attending the meeting,” said a press release by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) dated Feb 18.
It added that the occasion would provide an opportunity for discussions on bilateral matters, as well as global issues of mutual concern.
Additional reporting by Syed Irfan Raza and Anwar Iqbal
