ISLAMABAD, 17 September 2005 — Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz yesterday ruled out the possibility of any trade ties with Israel before the resolution of the lingering crisis in the Middle East and formation of an independent Palestinian state.
“At present there is no possibility of starting trade with Israel and there is no such policy under consideration,” he told reporters in Islamabad.
Aziz said Pakistan would recognize Israel only after the creation of the Palestinian state with Al-Quds (Jerusalem) as its capital.
The two countries, which do not have diplomatic ties, made their first open contact early this month when their foreign ministers met in the Turkish city of Istanbul on Sept. 1.
The meeting triggered speculation in Pakistan that the move was a precursor to recognizing the Jewish state whose very creation had been opposed by the Islamic country.
President Pervez Musharraf defended the contact with Israel as a goodwill gesture following Israel’s pullout from Gaza.
Aziz said there was no harm in engaging Israel if the “cause of Palestine” was to be benefited.
“Pakistan’s stance on the Middle-Eastern crisis is in line with the position of the 57-member Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC),” he added.
Aziz’s comments came hours ahead of Musharraf’s scheduled address to American Jewish community in New York. The Pakistani leader said he would use the opportunity to promote the Palestinian cause.
