The recent wave of speculation that Pakistan is moving toward recognising Israel is not only false but deliberately misleading. It is a propaganda campaign aimed at fracturing national unity and undermining one of the few constants in the country’s foreign policy.
For decades, successive governments have maintained a principled stance: recognition will not be considered until an independent Palestinian state is established on the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar’s statement on Tuesday reiterated this position with clarity, putting to rest the rumours circulating in political and media circles. Pakistan’s policy on Palestine is not transactional.
It has endured changing global alignments, regional turbulence, and domestic political shifts precisely because it rests on international law and a deep commitment to an oppressed people whose struggle has shaped the conscience of the Muslim world.
The 21-point peace framework unveiled in Washington must be understood in this context. Support for it does not constitute recognition of Israel. Rather, it reflects engagement with a process that has brought key Muslim states, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Türkiye, Qatar, Iran, the UAE, Malaysia, and Indonesia, onto a common page for the first time in years.
The Palestinian Authority has signalled cautious engagement with the framework, seeing in it a potential route to regain governance over Gaza and assert Palestinian sovereignty. Hamas too has expressed conditional support, indicating that the plan resonates with major Palestinian stakeholders. While the plan is imperfect and limited, it offers a pathway to end the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and to reopen the door to Palestinian statehood.
Critics who claim Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has softened his stance conveniently ignore historical facts. It was former prime minister Imran Khan who publicly endorsed a two-state solution, authorised back-channel contacts with Israel during his tenure, and whose party colleague proposed recognition in the National Assembly. For PTI leaders now to accuse others of compromising Pakistan’s principled position is to deny their own record.
Our voice carries weight in the Islamic bloc because we have maintained consistency on Palestine for decades. Any perception of wavering risks weakens the collective effort to protect Palestinian rights at international forums.
At a time when Gaza burns, Islamabad’s role should be to consolidate Muslim consensus, assert moral authority, and ensure that the suffering of Palestinians translates into political leverage rather than empty headlines. *