Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has categorically rejected any possibility of establishing diplomatic relations with Israel, according to a media report.
“Our policy on Israel is clear: The Quaid-i-Azam (Muhammad Ali Jinnah) had said that Pakistan can never accept state of Israel until the people of Palestine get rights and an independent state, Mr. Khan said in an interview to private news channel Dunya TV on Tuesday.
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Pakistan and Israel do not have diplomatic relations and their aircraft are not allowed to use each other’s airspace.
“If we recognise Israel and ignore tyranny faced by the Palestinians, we will have to give up Kashmir as well, and this we cannot do, he said.
His remarks came in the backdrop of recent peace overtures between the UAE and Israel, with the former becoming only the third Arab nation to enter into a peace deal with the Jewish state.
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When asked to comment on the UAE’s ties with Israel, Mr. Khan said that every state had its own foreign policy.
Iran, Turkey lash out at UAE over Israel deal
He also rejected the impression that Pakistan’s relations with Saudi Arabia were under stress due to the Kashmir issue.