ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s defense minister Khawaja Asif has rejected the possibility of Islamabad joining the Abraham Accords, saying Pakistan could not become part of any arrangement that conflicted with its “fundamental ideologies,” after US President Donald Trump publicly urged several Muslim-majority countries to normalize relations with Israel.
The Abraham Accords, brokered during Trump’s first presidency in 2020, established diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab states including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. Morocco and Sudan later joined the framework, which Washington has promoted as a cornerstone of a broader Middle East normalization process.
Pakistan does not recognize Israel and has no diplomatic relations with the country. Islamabad has historically supported the creation of an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, a position that enjoys broad political and public support across Pakistan.
The issue resurfaced after Trump said on Monday that Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Türkiye and several other countries should join an expanded Abraham Accords framework as part of a wider settlement linked to ongoing US-Iran negotiations.
“Personally, I don’t think we should join any accord that clashes with our fundamental ideologies,” Asif said in an interview with a local television channel when asked about the proposal.
“Right now no initiative in this regard has been taken by us, nor has anyone asked us.”
When pressed whether Pakistan had been approached by Washington regarding joining the Abraham Accords, Asif said Islamabad’s position remained unchanged.
“We have a very clear stance that this is not acceptable to us,” the minister said. “And secondly, on our passports, we are the only country whose passports don’t even include Israel’s name.”
Trump made his remarks in a lengthy post on Truth Social after speaking with several regional leaders, including Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Qatar’s leadership.
The US president said countries involved in discussions surrounding the Iran crisis should “simultaneously” join the Abraham Accords, describing the arrangement as a pathway toward a more unified and economically integrated Middle East.
“It should start with the immediate signing by Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and everybody else should follow suit,” Trump wrote.
Pakistan’s comments come at a sensitive moment in regional diplomacy.
Islamabad has recently emerged as a key intermediary in efforts linked to the US-Iran crisis, coordinating with Gulf countries, China and Washington as tensions escalated after joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February triggered months of confrontation across the Middle East.
Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi have both held talks in Tehran this month as part of mediation efforts that Pakistani officials say have made progress toward a “final understanding” between Tehran and Washington.
The diplomatic activity has also coincided with improving ties between Islamabad and Washington after years of strained relations following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
But despite growing engagement with the United States and Gulf Arab allies, Pakistani officials have repeatedly maintained that the country’s position on Israel remains tied to Palestinian statehood.
“The Gaza ceasefire is being violated as we speak in the present,” Asif said in the interview, referring to continued Israeli airstrikes and military operations in Gaza despite a US-brokered ceasefire announced in October 2025 that was meant to halt fighting, secure the release of hostages and prisoners and pave the way for a longer-term truce.
“So how will you sit down with those people [Israel] who you can’t trust even for a single day?”
Public sentiment in Pakistan remains overwhelmingly sympathetic toward Palestinians, with large demonstrations regularly held against Israeli military operations in Gaza. Pakistani religious parties and mainstream political groups have long opposed normalization with Israel absent a comprehensive Palestinian settlement.
