The PTI on Friday criticised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for attending the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace, and reiterating its objection to Pakistan joining the board without consultation.

The Board of Peace — formally established last month after being proposed in September 2025 and originally meant to oversee peace in Gaza — held its inaugural meeting on February 19, attended by several world leaders, including PM Shehbaz.

In a statement posted on X, the party said it once again expressed “grave concern over the government of Pakistan’s decision to join the Board of Peace without transparency, parliamentary debate, or consultation with major political stakeholders of the country”.

“Decisions of such international significance must be rooted in constitutional procedure, democratic oversight and national consensus,” it said.

The party maintained that it did not recognise the legitimacy of the present Parliament, formed after the “manipulated 2024 elections”.

“Nevertheless, even this Parliament was bypassed in this decision-making process, further eroding democratic norms and public trust,” it said.

Drawing a contrast with former premier Imran Khan, the party said that he had “been among the most steadfast and vocal supporters of Palestinian rights on the global stage”.

“His position on Palestine has always been clear and uncompromising,” it added. The party said that it stood “firmly with the Palestinian people and categorically rejects any plan imposed without their consent”.

It reiterated its unwavering support for a just and lasting resolution through an independent and sovereign Palestinian state, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, in accordance with international law and long-standing PTI policy.

It said that Pakistan’s role in global peace initiatives must strengthen the United Nations framework rather than promote “parallel arrangements that weaken international law and accountability”.

“Any initiative that claims to advance peace while excluding the very people under occupation contradicts the fundamental principles of justice and self-determination that PTI has always stood for,” the party said.

It also called into question the credibility of the Board of Peace, saying: “Palestinians remain excluded from the process while Israel continues to be included, even as violence persists in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank.”

The opposition party stressed that “a peace mechanism without Palestinian representation can only be termed as control”.

The party strongly criticised PM Shehbaz for attending the inaugural meeting and for “making statements that compromise Pakistan’s dignity, independent foreign policy and historically principled stance on oppressed peoples”.

The government’s decision to join the board, first announced last month, was criticised by political parties, including the PTI, and analysts. The government had defended the move in Parliament, with PM Shehbaz later saying that Pakistan had joined after the federal cabinet gave the go-ahead.