Days after the US-brokered deal between UAE and Israel that was brought forth with the motive to normalize tensions, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has commented that Pakistan will not recognize Israel, despite these moves.
In a series of comments that came just days after a deal between UAE and Israel that was brokered by the USA, Pak PM Imran Khan took a staunch stand in saying that his country will not recognize Israel until there is a Palestinian state acceptable to the Palestinians.
In an interview with national broadcaster Dunya News, Khan made it clear that Islamabad would not lend its support at recognizing Israel as a state. He also made a subtle reference to hint at the recent deal between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, which was mediated by the US last week to normalize ties with Israel.
“Whatever any country does, our position is very clear. And our position was made clear by [Pakistan’s founder] Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah … in 1948: that we cannot ever accept Israel as long as Palestinians are not given their rights and there is no just settlement,” Khan said. He further added that if Pakistan went on to ignore the misery and oppression of the Palestinians, the country would also have to give up Kashmir and turn a blind eye towards it. This comment was an analogy that clearly showed his intentions of standing against the recognition of Israel.
On August 13, 2020, UAE became the first Gulf Arab country – and third in the Middle East after Egypt and Jordan – to reach a middle-ground on normalizing relations with Israel, hence opening its doors to new ventures after years of secrecy and discreet contact.
“When you talk of Israel and Palestine, we need to think, will we be able to answer Allah (God) if we abandon those people who have faced every kind of injustice and whose rights were taken away? My own conscience will never allow me to do this, I can never accept it,” Khan went on to elaborate in the interview by Dunya News.
Amidst the efforts of normalizing these tensions, Saudi Arabia said on Wednesday, that it would not follow the UAE in establishing diplomatic ties with Israel until it had signed an internationally recognized peace accord with the Palestinians, to avoid any discrepancies.
JOIN US ON WHAT'SAPP, TO GET INSTANT STATUS UPDATES AND BE IN THE KNOW.
CLICK HERE
