Israel policy not under reconsideration, reiterates govt

Published November 24, 2020
FO spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri speaks at a ceremony. — Twitter/File
FO spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri speaks at a ceremony. — Twitter/File

The Foreign Office on Tuesday reiterated that Pakistan was not reconsidering its Israel policy and said that Prime Minister Imran Khan's "statements in this context have been clear and unequivocal".

In a statement, the FO said that Pakistan "cannot recognise Israel" until a "just settlement of the Palestinian issue" is found.

"For just and lasting peace, it is imperative to have a two-state solution in accordance with relevant United Nations and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation resolutions, with the pre-1967 borders and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as capital of a viable, independent and contiguous Palestinian State," the statement, which was also posted on Twitter, read.

The statement comes a day after bombshell reports emerged of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's meeting with Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the Saudi city of Neom. The reports were later denied by Saudi Arabia.

Following the reports, some prominent media personalities wondered if Pakistan too would reconsider its policy pertaining to Israel.

This is the second statement regarding Pakistan's stance on Israel that the FO has issued in a week's time. Earlier, the FO had denied reports that the prime minister had said that the United States was pressurising Pakistan to recognise Israel.

Last week's statement referred to a news report by the Middle East Eye (MEE), which quoted Prime Minister Imran as saying that Pakistan was facing pressure by the US to recognise Israel in the wake of deals between Tel Aviv and several Arab countries but that Islamabad could not take the step "unless there is a just settlement, which satisfies Palestine”.

MEE said that the premier made these remarks “last week” talking to “local media”.

Asked if any Muslim states were applying similar pressure on Pakistan, the PM appeared evasive, saying “there are things we cannot say. We have good relations with them.”

This year, three Arab states including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan have signed pacts with Israel, formally establishing diplomatic relations.

In August, the UAE was the first to sign the pact, brokered by US President Donald Trump. Since then, questions have been raised if Pakistan, being a close ally of the Arab states, would change its stance on Israel.

Opinion

Editorial

Unquiet Lebanon
Updated 21 Jun, 2026

Unquiet Lebanon

Either Israel must silence its guns and withdraw from all of Lebanon, or face isolation and boycott from the international community.
Mothers at risk
21 Jun, 2026

Mothers at risk

FOR years, efforts to reduce maternal deaths have focused heavily on postpartum haemorrhage — the severe bleeding...
Political budget
21 Jun, 2026

Political budget

THE KP budget does not read like a document of a province getting its fiscal house in order. Revenue is projected at...
Pakistan’s moment
Updated 20 Jun, 2026

Pakistan’s moment

Pakistan’s diplomats are second to none, and if these states seek to engage this country constructively, a new modus vivendi for the subcontinent can be reached.
Menacing water plans
20 Jun, 2026

Menacing water plans

IN April last year, India suspended the decades-old Indus Waters Treaty, which contains no provision allowing it to...
World Refugee Day
20 Jun, 2026

World Refugee Day

WORLD Refugee Day, observed today around the globe, marks 75 years since the adoption of the 1951 convention ...