Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has firmly rejected any prospect of Islamabad joining the Abraham Accords, a US-brokered initiative aimed at normalizing relations between Israel and Arab nations. Asif's comments came in response to former US President Donald Trump's recent push for more countries to sign onto the agreements.
Pakistan's Unwavering Stance on Israel
Speaking in an interview earlier this week, Asif articulated Pakistan's long-standing position: the nation will not recognize Israel until a fully independent Palestinian state is established. This state, he emphasized, must be based on the pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem serving as its capital. "Personally, I don’t think we should join any such accord which clashes with our fundamental ideologies," Asif stated, underscoring the deep ideological conflict he perceives with the Accords.
The Defence Minister also questioned the trustworthiness of any such arrangement, remarking, "How will you sit with those people whose word cannot be trusted for even a single day?" He further highlighted that Pakistani passports explicitly state they are not valid for travel to Israel, cementing the official policy.
Trump's Call for Expanded Accords
Asif's remarks directly addressed Trump's recent statements advocating for broader participation in the Abraham Accords. Trump, who initiated the agreements in 2020, suggested that any future deal with Iran should mandate several additional countries join the normalization effort. He specifically named nations like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, and Jordan as prospective signatories, noting that the UAE and Bahrain are already members.
Trump expressed his view via a social media post, stating that after extensive US efforts to bring together this "complex puzzle," it should be mandatory for these countries to "simultaneously sign onto the Abraham Accords."
Asif's Strong Criticism of Israel
Khawaja Asif has consistently been a vocal opponent of any move towards normalizing relations with Israel. Last month, he drew international attention by describing Israel as a "curse for humanity," and accused it of carrying out genocide in the region. His recent rejection of the Abraham Accords reaffirms Pakistan's steadfast commitment to the Palestinian cause, placing it in direct opposition to the expansionist goals of the former US administration's Middle East policy.