ISLAMABAD: Pakistan military spokesperson Major General Babar Iftikhar has said the army “fully supported” the government’s position on Israel, a local daily reported on Sunday.
Pakistan has been a staunch supporter of demands for a Palestinian state and does not recognize Israel, though officials have maintained covert contacts for decades.
“The stated position of the government of Pakistan on Israel and Palestine is fully supported by the armed forces,” the army’s spokesperson was quoted by The News as saying. He added that unnecessary and unsubstantiated speculation on the subject must be discouraged.
In recent weeks, there has been speculation about foreign pressure on Pakistan to recognize Israel, though the Pakistani prime minister and foreign office have categorically rejected the reports.
Earlier this week, on Friday, Prime Minister Imran Khan said his administration would not recognize Israel until there was a just settlement of the Palestinian issue.
In a local media interview this month, PM Khan said Israel’s “deep influence” in the United States was behind pressure on Pakistan to recognize Israel — pressure that had become “extraordinary” during President Donald Trump’s tenure.
However, Khan had added: “I have no second thought about recognizing Israel unless there is a just settlement, which satisfies Palestine.”
On November 24, the foreign office said: “Pakistan steadfastly supports the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination. For just and lasting peace, it is imperative to have a two-state solution in accordance with the relevant United Nations and OIC resolutions, with the pre-1967 borders, and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as the capital of a viable, independent and contiguous Palestinian State.”
Pakistan army says ‘fully’ supports government’s position on not recognizing Israel
https://arab.news/y4e97
Pakistan army says ‘fully’ supports government’s position on not recognizing Israel
- In recent weeks, there has been speculation about foreign pressure on Pakistan to recognize Israel
- PM and foreign office have rejected the reports, saying Pakistan would not acknowledge the Jewish state without a just settlement in Palestine
At ECO meeting, Pakistan proposes ‘Regional Innovation Hub’ to curb natural disasters
- Pakistan hosts high-level 10th ECO Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Risk Reduction in Islamabad
- Innovation hub to focus on early warning technologies, risk informed infrastructure planning
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has proposed to set up a “Regional Innovation Hub on Disaster Risk Reduction” that focuses on early warning technologies and risk informed infrastructure planning, the Press Information Department (PID) said on Wednesday, as Islamabad hosts a high-level meeting of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).
The ECO’s 10th Ministerial Meeting on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) is being held from Jan. 21-22 at the headquarters of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in Pakistan’s capital.
The high-level regional forum brings together ministers, and senior officials from ECO member states, representatives of the ECO Secretariat and regional and international partner organizations. The event is aimed to strengthen collective efforts toward enhancing disaster resilience across the ECO region, the PID said.
“Key agenda items include regional cooperation on early warning systems, disaster risk information management, landslide hazard zoning, inclusive disaster preparedness initiatives, and Pakistan’s proposal to establish a Regional Innovation Hub on Disaster Risk Reduction, focusing on early warning technologies, satellite data utilization, and risk-informed infrastructure planning,” the statement said.
The meeting was attended by delegations from ECO member states including Pakistan, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Representatives of regional and international organizations and development partners were also in attendance.
Discussions focused on enhancing regional coordination, harmonizing disaster risk reduction frameworks, and strengthening collective preparedness against transboundary and climate-induced hazards impacting the ECO region, the PID said.
ECO members states such as Pakistan, Türkiye, Afghanistan and others have faced natural calamities such as floods and earthquakes in recent years that have killed tens of thousands of people.
Heavy rains triggered catastrophic floods in Pakistan in 2022 and 2025 that killed thousands of people and caused damages to critical infrastructure, inflicting losses worth billions of dollars.
Islamabad has since then called on regional countries to join hands to cooperate to avert future climate disasters and promote early warning systems to avoid calamities in future.
