Pakistan’s Khawaja Asif Rejects Trump’s Abraham Accords Proposal

Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has rejected the idea of Islamabad joining the Abraham Accords, saying that such a move would conflict with the country’s “fundamental ideologies,” amid renewed calls from US President Donald Trump for Muslim-majority nations to normalise relations with Israel. Speaking to Samaa TV, Asif said Pakistan should not accept any agreement that goes against its long-standing diplomatic position on Israel. His remarks come as discussions continue internationally over expanding the Abraham Accords framework, which currently includes countries such as the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, and is aimed at establishing diplomatic, economic, and security ties with Israel.

The comments follow reports that Trump has urged several Muslim-majority nations—including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Türkiye, Egypt, and Jordan—to consider joining the accords as part of broader peace efforts linked to ongoing regional negotiations involving Iran. The proposal has reignited debate in countries that have historically opposed formal relations with Israel. Asif reiterated Pakistan’s established stance that it will not recognise Israel until an independent Palestinian state is created based on pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Pakistan has maintained this position since its independence and has never formally established diplomatic relations with Israel. As a result, Pakistani passport holders are not permitted to travel to Israel under current regulations. “We have a very clear stance that it is not acceptable to us,” Asif said, emphasising that Pakistan’s foreign policy on the issue remains unchanged. He also questioned the reliability of negotiating partners in the context of Middle East peace efforts, asking how countries could engage with actors whose commitments, in his view, lack consistency.

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Asif is among Pakistan’s most vocal political figures opposing normalisation with Israel. In previous statements, he has described Israel in strongly critical terms and accused it of committing severe violations in the region, remarks that have drawn both domestic support and international scrutiny. Pakistan’s position reflects a broader diplomatic balancing act. While maintaining its traditional support for Palestinian statehood, Islamabad has also sought to improve relations with Washington after years of strained ties following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Analysts note that this dual-track approach places Pakistan in a complex geopolitical position as pressure mounts to take clearer stances on evolving Middle East realignments. Any potential shift toward the Abraham Accords would likely face significant political and public resistance within Pakistan, where support for Palestinian statehood remains a deeply entrenched issue across mainstream political parties and civil society. For now, the government’s position remains aligned with its long-standing policy: normalisation with Israel is not under consideration unless a sovereign Palestinian state is established first, underscoring the rigidity of Pakistan’s diplomatic stance amid renewed international pressure.

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