The Pakistan Foreign Office has chosen to maintain a diplomatic stance amidst the controversy surrounding the alleged connection between Israel and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). This follows an unusual outburst from Tel Aviv against Pakistan at the UN Human Rights Council earlier this week.
Israel’s Permanent Representative at the UN in Geneva questioned Pakistan’s human rights record and recent crackdown against a political party, sparking a strong reaction from the ruling coalition. While the Foreign Office’s response was diplomatic, several ministers interpreted the Israeli envoy’s remarks as evidence of ties between the Jewish state and former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
When asked about what might have prompted Israel’s criticism, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch stated that she could only comment on Pakistan’s perspective on the negative statement made in Geneva. She refrained from speculating on the motivations of another government.
Baloch declined to link the Israeli move to the current political situation or party, choosing instead to reiterate the statement issued earlier by the Foreign Office. According to her, Pakistan views Israel’s statement at the UN Human Rights Council as politically motivated and inconsistent with the otherwise positive tone of the session.
She suggested that Israel should focus on its own human rights record and its treatment of the Palestinian people in occupied Palestinian territories. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan also took to Twitter to denounce Israel for criticizing Pakistan, blaming the current government for its failures. Â
In response to a statement by an Afghan Taliban spokesperson that the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) was Pakistan’s problem, Baloch asserted that the responsibility of ensuring that Afghanistan’s soil is not used for terrorism against Pakistan lies with the Afghan authorities. She referred to assurances given by Afghan officials during a trilateral meeting in Islamabad in May, where they pledged that Afghan soil would not be used for terrorism directed against Pakistan.
As the controversy surrounding the alleged PTI-Israel nexus continues, Pakistan’s Foreign Office remains committed to maintaining a diplomatic approach. The office has refrained from engaging in political speculation, focusing instead on addressing the issues at hand and holding other nations accountable for their commitments.
