Pakistan's PM Imran Khan pressured to recognize Israel

Pakistan faced pressure from another country to establish diplomatic ties with Israel, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said over the weekend. “I have no second thoughts about [not] recognizing Israel unless there is a just settlement that satisfies Palestinians,” he said in a local television interview. Citing Pakistan founder Quaid-e-Azad Muhammad Ali Jinnah's refusal to recognize Israel, Khan said: “Islamabad would continue to follow in Jinnah's footsteps vis-à-vis Palestine.” He refused to name the country or countries that have been pressuring him, saying: “There are things we cannot say. We have good relations with them.” Pakistani passports include the words: “This passport is valid for all countries of the world except Israel.” Khan's comments come after the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain normalized ties with Israel in recent months. Pakistan has strong economic ties with Gulf states such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia, which has been warming to Israel in recent years. When his interlocutor again asked who is pressuring Pakistan, Khan said: “Let us stand on our own feet in terms of economy; then you may ask these questions.” The pressure is a result of “Israel's deep impact in the US,” he said. “This [influence] was, in fact, extraordinary during [US President Donald] Trump's tenure.” US President-elect Joe Biden's position on Israel is of utmost importance, Khan said. “The real issue is Israel,” he said. “We shall see how Biden deals with that: whether he changes Trump's policies on Israel or continues with them.” “Israel's lobby is the most powerful, and that's why America's whole Middle East policy is controlled by Israel,” Khan said last month. An Israeli-Indian conspiracy had influenced the US to pressure him to pardon his political rival Nawaz Sharif, who was banned from office and sentenced to 10 years in prison on corruption charges, he said.

Pakistan's PM Imran Khan pressured to recognize Israel

Khan refused to name the countries that have been pressuring him.

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Pakistan's PM Imran Khan pressured to recognize Israel

Khan refused to name the countries that have been pressuring him.

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