PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday said she believed the government had recognised Israel as “it is not even issuing a denial” to reports and statements from news agencies emphasising on Pakistan’s reported acceptance of the Jewish nation-state.

She made this statement in response to a question during a media talk outside the Islamabad High Court.

Maryam stressed the government should apprise the nation of its decision [on Israel]. “It’s not your personal decision… it’s something that is linked to 220 million people of Pakistan.”

Prime Minister Imran Khan in November last year had said Pakistan was facing great pressure from the United States to recognise Israel, but he clarified that “this will not be possible unless there is a just settlement, which satisfies Palestine”.

Commenting on the country’s foreign policy, the PML-N leader asked the government to bring its own house in order first.

“Your foreign policy should not alter in view of a changing political landscape. It should not be based on your political standing," she said, calling for a unified stance on issues.

'No deal with govt'

Hitting out at the government, Maryam said once the PTI's tenure ends, it won’t be able to come to power again.

She claimed there was intense infighting within the government and this would be visible once the general election approaches.

Responding to a query on whether the PML-N had entered a deal with the government, Maryam thundered: “Why do you people call everything a deal. This is an inappropriate question. Why will there be any deal? [...] Are we mad to have a deal with those we are [fighting] against?” she questioned.

'PML-N is intact'

Regarding the recent public gathering of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) in Swat, she insisted the entire PML-N led by Shehbaz Sharif was represented in the rally.

When asked about her absence from the gathering, she said she was busy in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) election campaign under the directions of Nawaz Sharif.

She said the “PML-N is in the strongest position in AJK, and if free and fair polls are held, then our party will win the election with overwhelming majority." She added that people had lost trust in the current system in view of "blatant rigging in the past elections".

She underscored that the PML-N was “not going anywhere”, saying the party was well intact.

The PML-N vice-president said the current approach of the government would take Balochistan further away. “I believe grievances of people of the province should be addressed,” she remarked, recalling that when the Hazara people had invited the prime minister to their protest, he refused saying he won’t be blackmailed with dead bodies.