Ishaq Dar with Marco Rubio (Image/X)
A viral video featuring Pakistan deputy prime minister and foreign minister Ishaq Dar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reignited debate over whether Islamabad could eventually recognise Israel. In the clip, a journalist is heard asking Dar, “Dar saab, kya Pakistan Israel ko recognise karega?” (Will Pakistan recognise Israel?). Both Dar and Rubio appear to ignore the question as they leave the venue. However, Pakistan’s official position remains unchanged. Speaking at the Pakistani Embassy in Washington after meeting Rubio, Dar reiterated that Islamabad would not alter its stance unless there was meaningful progress towards the creation of an independent Palestinian state.”There are a lot of rumours going on related to the Abraham Accord. Let me clear that Pakistan’s stance is very clear and consistent on that. Until Palestine is recognised with the pre-1967 model with Quds Al Sharif (Occupied East Jerusalem) as its capital, there will be no flexibility,” Dar said, Dawn reported. He stressed that Pakistan remains committed to the Palestinian cause and said there could be no change in relations with Israel until a Palestinian state is established. “Pakistan remains steadfast in its position on Palestine and Gaza. Israel must move towards the establishment of a Palestinian state before Islamabad considers any shift in policy,” he said. The remarks come days after US President Donald Trump publicly said he had encouraged several Muslim-majority countries, including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt and Jordan, to join the Abraham Accords as part of broader diplomatic efforts linked to ending the Iran conflict.The Abraham Accords, first signed in 2020, normalised relations between Israel and several Arab states, including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.Pakistan, however, swiftly rejected any suggestion that it was considering joining the initiative. Defence minister Khawaja Asif recently described recognition of Israel as ‘unacceptable’, arguing that such a move would contradict Pakistan’s founding principles and long-standing support for Palestinian statehood.”Neither has anyone contacted us from the US State Department nor has anyone conveyed such a proposal officially,” Asif said. Reaffirming Pakistan’s position, he observed that even Pakistani passports do not recognise Israel. “Even our passport does not carry the name of Israel,” he remarked.Asif also cited the ongoing conflict in Gaza as a major obstacle to any normalisation effort. “The Gaza agreement is still being violated. How can we sit with those who are not reliable even for a single day?” he said.Analysts say public opinion in Pakistan remains overwhelmingly supportive of the Palestinian cause, making recognition of Israel politically difficult under current circumstances. Pakistan has never formally recognised Israel and has consistently linked any potential change in policy to the creation of an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, according to Dawn. The renewed focus on Pakistan’s Israel policy comes as Islamabad plays an increasingly prominent diplomatic role in efforts to reduce tensions between the United States and Iran. During his meeting with Rubio, Dar discussed regional security, bilateral cooperation and Pakistan’s mediation efforts aimed at preserving the fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran.According to the US State Department, Rubio thanked Pakistan for the ‘constructive role’ it continues to play in promoting peace in the Middle East and acknowledged its mediation efforts with Iran. Pakistan’s Foreign Office said both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in trade, investment, counter-terrorism and regional security.Dar said Pakistan was committed to maintaining confidentiality as a mediator and expressed hope that ongoing diplomatic efforts would eventually lead to a comprehensive settlement between the US and Iran. He added that several countries had shown interest in hosting talks, but Pakistan had been chosen because of its close ties with all parties involved.
