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Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday expressed hope for "encouraging" outcomes from US President Donald Trump's meeting with Muslim leaders in Washington earlier this week, where the American president presented his plan to end Israel's invasion of Gaza, Dawn reported.
"We fully participated in the meeting on Gaza, and God willing, its encouraging results will come out soon," he said, flanked by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar while addressing overseas Pakistanis at the High Commission in London. According to state broadcaster Radio Pakistan, the prime minister said Pakistan was part of Trump-led efforts to bring peace to Palestine and end oppression against the people of Gaza. He also expressed distress over the humanitarian situation, praying that "the cruelty and barbarity being witnessed there ends soon." Dawn reported that Trump's meeting, held on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York, brought together leaders from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Turkiye, and Indonesia. Ahead of formal consultations, Trump told his guests: "We have to get the hostages back ... This is the group that can do it, more than any other group in the world ... so it's an honour to be with you." Emphasising the urgency of ending the conflict, Trump added: "We had 32 meetings here, this is the one that's very important because we're gonna end something that should've probably never started." According to reports from Israel's Channel 12 and US-based Axios, Trump's plan envisions an immediate ceasefire and the release of hostages, both alive and deceased; phased Israeli withdrawal from Gaza; governance excluding Hamas but incorporating the Palestinian Authority; deployment of Arab and Muslim peacekeepers to secure Gaza and facilitate Israel's withdrawal; and internationally supported reconstruction programmes funded by regional contributors. These details were reportedly shared with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, though Israel did not draft the plan, Dawn noted. Dar, who also attended the meeting, expressed optimism about its outcome. He said follow-up communications were ongoing and added: "Once these results materialise, we will share them with the nation." Shehbaz also referred to his engagements in New York, where he led Pakistan's delegation to the 80th session of the UNGA. He said his speech reflected the sentiments of Pakistanis and that he "fought the case of Kashmir" at the world forum, Dawn reported. The prime minister also touched on his bilateral meeting with Trump in Washington during the trip, calling it a "productive" and "constructive" engagement. "It was held in a conducive environment," he said, adding that he hoped it would help further strengthen Pakistan-US ties. (ANI)
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