Pakistan’s Defence Minister, Khawaja Asif, has stated that he does not support the idea of Pakistan joining the Abraham Accords, the framework aimed at normalising relations between Israel and several Arab and Muslim-majority countries.
His remarks followed comments from US President Donald Trump, who urged countries involved in ongoing peace discussions with Iran to consider signing the Abraham Accords.
The agreements focus on establishing diplomatic, economic, and security relations between Israel and participating Arab states.
Speaking during a talk show interview with Samaa TV on Monday night, Asif firmly opposed the idea, saying, “Personally, I don’t think we should join any such accord which clashes with our fundamental ideologies,” Asif said during an interview on a talk show with Samaa TV on Monday night.
Several regional countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, are already part of the accords. Trump has also expressed expectations that Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Pakistan, Türkiye, Egypt, and Jordan could potentially join the arrangement in the future.
Reaffirming Islamabad’s long-standing diplomatic position, Pakistan’s defence minister reiterated that the country does not recognise Israel until an independent Palestinian state is established on pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
“We have a very clear stance that it is not acceptable to us,” he said.
He also questioned the reliability of engaging with Israel, adding, “How will you sit with those people whose word cannot be trusted for even a single day?”
Asif further referenced Pakistan’s passport policy, which explicitly states that it is not valid for travel to Israel.
The defence minister has been among the most vocal political figures opposing normalisation with Israel. Last month, he described Israel as a “curse for humanity” and accused it of committing genocide in the region.
