Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ruled out any possibility of normalizing ties between Pakistan and ‘Israel’ until Palestinians “get their due rights and an independent Palestinian state is established.”
Addressing the parliamentary party meeting of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in Islamabad on Monday, the prime minister rebutted reports regarding a trade initiative between his country and ‘Israel’, saying “there is no truth in such reports widely circulating on social media. All such reports are nothing but a pack of lies.”
The Prime Minister reiterated that Pakistan would not deviate from its principled position of having no ties with Israel until the Palestinians get their legitimate right.
“Pakistan has (a) very clear policy that unless the Palestinians get their due rights and an independent Palestinian state is established, we cannot even think about it (establishing any ties),” he stated.
His remarks came days after a statement from the American Jewish Congress, which claimed that the first shipment of Pakistan-origin food products was offloaded in ‘Israel’ late last month.
The transaction, according to the statement, involved a Pakistani-Jewish Fishel Benkhald, and three businessmen.
Benkhald posted his pictures on his social media account, waving his green Pakistani passport after landing at Tel Aviv airport last week.
The post instantly ignited a storm on social media sites, accusing the government of Sharif of allowing the establishment of trade relations with Tel Aviv.
“It was an act of an individual, who is a Pakistani Jew. The government has nothing to do with it,” Sharif further said, adding Pakistan firmly stands beside Palestinians in their freedom struggle.
