US Asks Pakistan to Recognise Israel, Islamabad's Firm Stance

WASHINGTON — Pakistan remains firm in its stance on Palestine and Gaza and will not change despite Washington’s request for Middle Eastern nations to recognise Israel under the Abraham Accords. Islamabad will not recognise or normalise relations with Israel without the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar stated this during a press conference at Pakistan’s embassy in Washington on Friday following a meeting with US Foreign Minister Marco Rubio, according to Dawn.

During the press conference, Dar was asked whether US President Donald Trump had ceased urging Muslim nations to join the Abraham Accords as part of a deal with Iran. The question arose as Trump no longer mentioned the issue in his earlier statement on Friday.

Deputy Prime Minister Dar did not directly answer the question. Instead, he stated he had reaffirmed Pakistan’s position during his UN meeting earlier in the week. ‘Pakistan remains steadfast on its stance regarding Palestine and Gaza,’ Dar said.

He called on Israel to move towards establishing a Palestinian state before Pakistan alters its stance towards Tel Aviv.

The Abraham Accords are a series of agreements brokered under the Trump administration in 2020, normalising diplomatic relations between Israel and historically hostile nations.

In a lengthy social media post on Monday, Trump listed the countries involved in negotiations, stating they were spoken to over the weekend regarding efforts to end the war with Iran. ‘After all the efforts the United States has made to try to solve this very complex puzzle, it should be mandatory for all these countries to at least sign the Abraham Accords simultaneously,’ he wrote.

‘The countries discussed are Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (already a member!), Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, and Bahrain (already a member!),’ he added.