ISLAMABAD
\nDeputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has firmly rejected speculation that Pakistan may join the Abraham Accords, reiterating that Islamabad\u2019s position on Palestine and Israel remains unchanged until an independent Palestinian state is established with Al-Quds Al-Sharif (Occupied East Jerusalem) as its capital.
\nSpeaking during a media briefing at Pakistan\u2019s Embassy in Washington on Friday, following his meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Dar said there could be \u201cno flexibility\u201d in Pakistan\u2019s longstanding policy on the Palestinian issue.
\nAddressing reports and speculation surrounding Pakistan\u2019s possible participation in the Abraham Accords, Dar said numerous questions and rumours had been circulating in recent days.
\n\u201cThere are a lot of rumours going on related to the Abraham Accords. Let me make it clear that Pakistan\u2019s stance is very clear and consistent on that,\u201d he said.
\nDar emphasized that Pakistan\u2019s policy has remained unchanged for years and is based on the recognition of an independent Palestinian state under the pre-1967 borders.
\n\u201cUntil Palestine is recognised with the pre-1967 model and Quds Al Sharif becomes its capital, there will be no flexibility on this issue,\u201d he stated.
\nThe deputy prime minister said Pakistan remains steadfast in its support for Palestine and Gaza, stressing that Israel must move towards the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state before any change in Islamabad\u2019s position towards Israel can be considered.
\n\u201cPakistan remains steadfast in its position on Palestine and Gaza,\u201d Dar told reporters.
\nHe added that Israel \u201cmust move towards the establishment of a Palestinian state\u201d before there could be any shift in Pakistan\u2019s policy regarding diplomatic relations with Israel.
\nDar noted that he had reiterated Pakistan\u2019s position during his engagements at the United Nations earlier this week.
\nThe issue surfaced during the press conference when Dar was asked whether US President Donald Trump had abandoned his calls for Muslim countries to join the Abraham Accords as part of a potential agreement involving Iran.
\nThe question emerged because Trump did not mention the Abraham Accords in a statement released earlier on Friday outlining possible key elements of a future deal with Tehran.
\nWhile Dar did not directly answer whether the issue had been discussed with US officials, he instead reaffirmed Pakistan\u2019s longstanding position on Palestine and Israel.
\nThe Abraham Accords are a series of agreements brokered under President Donald Trump in 2020 that led to the normalization of diplomatic relations between Israel and several countries that had historically opposed or refused formal ties with the Israeli state.
\nThe accords marked a significant shift in Middle East diplomacy, but Pakistan has consistently maintained that recognition of Israel is contingent upon a just resolution of the Palestinian issue.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
ISLAMABAD Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has firmly rejected speculation that Pakistan may join the Abraham Accords, reiterating that Islamabad\u2019s position on Palestine and Israel remains unchanged until an independent Palestinian state is established with Al-Quds Al-Sharif (Occupied East Jerusalem) as its capital. Speaking during a media briefing at Pakistan\u2019s Embassy in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":524602,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-548712","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-top-news"],"yoast_head":"\n