Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif hinted that the country may recognise Israel under the Abraham Accords, but only after prioritising the nation’s “interests.” He made the remarks during an interview with a Pakistani news channel.
‘We will watch our interest’
When asked by the news anchor what Pakistan would do if it faces pressure regarding the Abraham Accords, Asif said, “We will watch our interest.” He added that Pakistan is continuously engaged in brainstorming on the subject and would respond to the proposal of joining the Accords at an appropriate time.
Asif’s statements may not sit well with other political outfits in Pakistan, and he may face criticism and condemnation for his remarks. The United States is expected to put pressure on Pakistan to sign the Accords and recognise Israel.
What are the Abraham Accords?
The Abraham Accords were announced by the Trump administration in 2020 as a major step toward normalising relations between Israel and several Arab states. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain signed the Accords and established diplomatic ties with Israel. The United States has since been encouraging other countries, including Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, to join the Accords.
‘Pakistan is ready to discuss the outstanding issues’
A few days back, Asif said that India may launch an attack on Pakistan in the future. He said, “Pakistan is ready to discuss the outstanding issues with India through dialogue, including Kashmir. But India is talking about aggression.”
Last week, Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif Thursday admitted that China shared intelligence inputs on India with Pakistan after Operation Sindoor.
Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif admitted that China shared intelligence inputs on India with Pakistan after Operation Sindoor.
“These days, countries that are close to each other do share intelligence. It’s very normal if we are sharing any information we have,” The Times Of India (TOI) quoted him as saying.
