The Foreign Office (FO) explicitly denied any Pakistani team visiting Israel on Sunday.
The FO statement came after local media reported that Israel President Isaac Herzog had a “wonderful experience” visiting a delegation of Pakistani expats residing in the United States.
In response to media inquiries, the FO spokesman indicated that the alleged visit was organised by a foreign NGO that is not established in Pakistan. According to the spokesman, Pakistan’s position on the Palestinian problem is clear and unequivocal, and there has been no change in Islamabad’s policy, on which there is total national unanimity.
The spokesperson reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering support for the Palestinian people’s legitimate right to self-determination. According to the spokesman, the formation of an independent, viable, and contiguous Palestinian state with pre-1967 borders and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, in line with relevant UN and OIC resolutions, is essential for just and lasting peace in the region.
According to media sources, Netanyahu spoke on Thursday at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on the Abraham Accords, a US-backed arrangement that resulted in the normalisation of Israel’s relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
After the Abraham Accords were signed in August 2020, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said unequivocally that it would not recognise Israel. “A two-state solution in conformity with relevant United Nations and OIC resolutions, with the pre-1967 boundaries, and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as the capital of a viable, independent, and contiguous Palestinian State,” the Foreign Office stated.
However, Herzog stated that the Abraham Accords were yielding at all levels of society and were not limited to casual visits.
In answer to a query from WEF President Berg Brende, Herzog stated, “I’ll tell you, you know, we’re seeing it at all levels of life.” We’re not talking about casual trips here. We’re witnessing interest at all economic, scientific, and innovative levels, but I’ll tell you about my own thoughts later.”
Herzog informed the WEF president that he visited two delegations last week — Moroccans and Pakistanis — who demonstrated the “huge shift” brought about by the Abraham Accords.
“One was a delegation of Moroccan youth opinion leaders who had joined forces with an Israeli NGO on Facebook.” They both came and sat with us for an hour, and it was incredible to hear their stories of breaking down walls, going ahead, and interweaving.”
A day after visiting the Moroccan delegation, Israel’s president claimed he met with a group of “proud” Pakistani expats living in America, who live alongside individuals from different nations in their region.
“And I must add that this was an incredible experience because we have never had such a large group of Pakistani officials visit Israel, and it all flows from the Abraham Accords, which means Jews and Muslims can coexist in the region.”
Ahsan Iqbal, Pakistan’s Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives, stated that no official or semi-official team from Pakistan met with Israeli President Shimon Peres. “The delegation’s members were Pakistani-Americans who have previously offered an explanation,” the planning minister stated in a tweet.
Iqbal stated that the Pakistani government’s attitude is clear: it does not recognise the state of Israel. “All of our sympathies are with our Palestinian brothers and sisters.” In reaction to the Israeli president’s speech, ex-human rights minister Shireen Mazari accused the current administration of complying with US pressures.
“Another pledge made to the United States under the regime change plot by an imported government and other co-conspirators has been fulfilled!” “Shameful subservience!” said the former federal minister. However, in a May 18 interview on Geo News’ Aapas kee Baat, Pakistani Journalist Ahmad Quraishi informed the show’s anchor Muneeb Farooq that, for the first time in 75 years, Pakistan issued a passport to a Pakistani Jew, allowing him to mention his religion and allowing him to visit the holy sites in Israel. The passport was granted by the Imran Khan administration, according to Quraishi, and this Pakistani Jew was part of the Pakistani-American delegation visiting Israel.
