A viral video of Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reignited the debate over whether Islamabad might eventually recognize Israel. In the clip, a journalist can be heard asking Dar, “Dar sir, will Pakistan recognize Israel?(Will Pakistan recognize Israel?) Both Dar and Rubio were seen ignoring this question while leaving the venue.However, Pakistan’s official position remains unchanged. Speaking at the Pakistani Embassy in Washington after meeting Rubio, Dar reiterated that Islamabad will not change its stance until meaningful progress is made toward the creation of an independent Palestinian state.“There are a lot of rumors doing the rounds regarding the Abraham Accords. Let me clarify that Pakistan’s stand on this is very clear and consistent. There will be no flexibility unless Palestine is recognized on the pre-1967 model with Quds al Sharif (occupied East Jerusalem) as its capital,” Dar said, reported Dawn. He stressed that Pakistan is committed to the Palestinian cause and said there can be no change in relations with Israel until a Palestinian state is established. “Pakistan remains steadfast in its position on Palestine and Gaza. Israel should move towards the establishment of a Palestinian state before Islamabad considers any change in policy,” he said. The comments come days after US President Donald Trump publicly said he had encouraged several Muslim-majority countries, including Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey, Egypt and Jordan, to join the Abraham Accords as part of broader diplomatic efforts tied to ending the Iran conflict.The Abraham Accords were first signed in 2020, normalizing relations between Israel and several Arab states, including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.However, Pakistan quickly rejected any suggestion that it was considering joining the initiative. Defense Minister Khawaja Asif recently described Israeli recognition as ‘unacceptable’ and argued that such a move would be contrary to Pakistan’s founding principles and long-standing support for a Palestinian state.“Neither has anyone from the US State Department contacted us nor has anyone officially made any such proposal,” Asif said. Confirming Pakistan’s position, he said that Pakistani passports also do not recognize Israel. He commented, “Even our passports don’t have the name Israel on them.”Asif also described the ongoing conflict in Gaza as a major obstacle to any normalization efforts. “The Gaza agreement is still being violated. How can we sit with people who are not trustworthy even for a day?” he said.Analysts say that public opinion in Pakistan overwhelmingly supports the Palestinian cause, making it politically difficult to recognize Israel under the current circumstances. According to Dawn, Pakistan has never formally recognized Israel and has linked any potential change in policy to the creation of an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. There is a renewed focus on Pakistan’s Israel policy as Islamabad plays a major diplomatic role in efforts to ease tensions between the United States and Iran. During his meeting with Rubio, Dar discussed regional security, bilateral cooperation and Pakistan’s mediation efforts aimed at preserving the fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran.According to the US State Department, Rubio thanked Pakistan for the ‘constructive role’ it is playing in promoting peace in the Middle East and acknowledged its mediation efforts with Iran. Pakistan’s Foreign Office said both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in trade, investment, counter-terrorism and regional security.Dar said Pakistan is committed to maintaining confidentiality as a mediator and expressed hope that the ongoing diplomatic efforts will eventually lead to a comprehensive agreement between the US and Iran. He said several countries had shown interest in hosting the talks, but Pakistan was chosen because of its close ties with all parties involved.