ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said on Friday a recent delegation of Pakistani nationals to Israel had nothing to do with the government in Islamabad as the country’s position on Palestine was “clear.”
The delegation, which visited Israel this week, included Pakistani journalists and former development minister Nasim Ashraf, who also served as chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board.
It was a second such group of Pakistanis traveling on a trip organized by US-based NGO Sharaka, which was founded in the wake of the Abraham Accords brokered by the Trump administration to help normalize relations between Israel and other Middle Eastern states.
A similar delegation in May sparked speculation that Pakistan might be turning the page on Israel.
“Let me reiterate: Absolutely not,” Bhutto-Zardari told Arab News' Ephrem Kossaify in New York, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
“Pakistan’s position on the question of Palestine is clear and always has been.”
Pakistan does not recognize the state of Israel and has repeatedly called for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters” and the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
The foreign minister said the recent delegations to Israel have “nothing to do” with the government in Islamabad.
“As far as these delegations are concerned, I believe that there’s some sort of international nongovernmental organizations that are sending people between countries or civilizations,” he said. “Each time some of these NGOs set up these interfaith or interconnected events it just so happens, because either some of the people going are dual citizens of Pakistan or have some sort of connection in Pakistan, it’s hyped up in social media as a component of our foreign policy, which it absolutely isn’t.”
On Thursday, Pakistan’s foreign office also dismissed media reports that a delegation representing the country was visiting Israel.
“Responding to media queries, the Spokesperson categorically rejected the notion of any delegation from Pakistan visiting Israel,” it said in a statement.
“The reported visit in question was organized by a foreign NGO which is not based in Pakistan. Pakistan’s position on the Palestinian issue is clear and unambiguous. There is no change whatsoever in our policy on which there is complete national consensus.”