Asad Qaiser demands PM’s apology over Gaza Plan

• PTI leader slams govt for hurting public sentiments, saying no decision acceptable without Palestinians’ consent
• Lashes out at govt for not taking parliament into confidence on what he called ‘critical national decisions’
• Says Premier’s statement amounted to ‘sycophancy,’ betrayal of emotions of Pakistanis

ISLAMABAD: Former National Assembly speaker and senior PTI leader Asad Qaiser on Friday demanded that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif apologise to the nation, accusing him of “hurting public sentiments” by prematurely welcoming US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace proposal before the will of the Palestinian people was incorporated into the process.

Speaking on the floor of the lower house, Qaiser warned that “no decision would be acceptable until the will of the Palestinians is made part of the agreement,” stressing that any peace accord would remain incomplete without recognition of an independent Palestinian state with Al-Quds (Jerusalem) as its capital.

Earlier in the day, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had clarified that the 20-point Gaza peace plan announced by Trump was “not ours,” emphasising that amendments jointly proposed by eight Muslim countries had yet to be incorporated. He also underlined that there was no room for politicking on the issue.

The controversy emerged after Shehbaz initially welcomed the peace framework on social media following Trump’s joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on September 29. The plan, drafted after Trump met eight Muslim and Arab states — including Jordan, UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt — during the 80th UN General Assembly session, was subsequently rejected by Palestinian representatives.

Qaiser lashed out at the government for not taking parliament into confidence on what he called “critical national decisions.” He said Shehbaz’s statement amounted to “sycophancy” and betrayed the emotions of Pakistanis who, he added, “will never accept recognition of Israel.”

The PTI leader also pressed the government to launch immediate diplomatic efforts for the release of Pakistanis detained on the Global Sumud Flotilla intercepted by Israeli forces.

Turning to the Shama Junejo controversy, Qaiser claimed the government’s clarification had raised more questions than answers. He pointed out that Junejo, described in media reports as the prime minister’s “speech writer,” was seen during Defence Minister Khawaja Asif’s address at a UN Security Council session on artificial intelligence (AI).

The incident triggered a storm on social media, where users highlighted Junejo’s past posts allegedly supportive of Israel — a stance contradictory to Pakistan’s longstanding pro-Palestinian position.

Following the uproar, Khawaja Asif distanced himself from the matter, stating on X (formerly Twitter) that only the Foreign Office could explain her presence. The FO later issued a clarification that Junejo was not part of Pakistan’s accredited UN delegation.

Qaiser insisted the prime minister must take responsibility, saying the episode reflected poorly on the government’s handling of sensitive issues.