MUZAFFARABAD, March 30: The newly-elected president of ruling Muslim Conference and Member of AJK legislative Assembly, Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan, the otherday called for recognition of Israel by Pakistan which, he hoped, could help Islamabad serve the cause of Kashmiris as well as the Palestinians in a better way.

“Recognition of Israel can benefit us in many ways,” claimed the MC chief, while answering reporters’ questions here at a Meet the Press programme of the Central Press Club.

“It (recognition) can help us serve the cause of Palestinian Muslims in a better way and deprive India of the Israeli cooperation that New Delhi might be receiving to contain the freedom movement in occupied Kashmir,” he asserted.

Sardar Attique, son of National Kashmir Committee Chairman Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan, has been suggesting since long that Pakistan should review its policy regarding Israel.

“India is the worst enemy of the Muslims and other minorities living in India. Every day at least 7 to 10 people from minority communities are killed across India. But I cannot understand why Islamabad has always striven to maintain good relations with India and not with Israel?”

The Kashmiri leader maintained that creating enmity with any country amounted to throwing its weight behind India.

“Currently we have forced Israel to stand with India by declaring it our open enemy.”

He said that the foreign policy of any country should be framed with a view to increasing its circle of friends and not enemies.

“When we wish and try to better our relations with the United States, there is no justification to keep the ties tense with Israel.”

Israel has been recognized by only two Muslim countries — Turkey and Egypt.

“When the countries having direct clash with Israel can consider establishing diplomatic relations with it, then why should we maintain an atmosphere of hostility with Israel?”