Pakistan will not even discuss the question of recognising Israel before a complete freedom of Palestine and full withdrawal of occupation forces and Jewish settlers from all territories including Gaza and West Bank.
At a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs here on Monday, the government came out with a firm assurance that the Parliament and the nation would be taken into confidence before any such move.
Foreign Minister Khursheed Mehmood Kasuri played down reports suggesting Pakistan was inching towards recognising the Jewish State on external pressures.
Kasuri shared with the committee the outcome of his last week's meeting with Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom in Istanbul.
Presided over by its Chairman Dr Farooq Sattar, the committee backed the initiative taken by the government by establishing a foreign minister-level contact with Israel.
Some opposition members, however, doubted the government claims and smelled what they called a Jewish and American conspiracy behind the meeting.
The foreign minister informed the committee there was no change in Pakistan's stance on Israel, saying Islamabad wanted to play a positive role for the resolution of the Palestinian dispute.
Kasuri further said that his meeting with Shalom was in no way an indication that Pakistan was recognising Israel and any decision in this regard would be taken in the supreme national interest after due consultations and taking Parliament into confidence.
TALKS WITH INDIA: Kasuri also updated the committee about latest situation in South Asia and the recent talks between the foreign secretaries of Pakistan and India held at Islamabad where wide range of issues including Jammu and Kashmir were discussed.
The foreign minister was confident that the talks would pave way for better understanding between India and Pakistan and for amicable solution of all outstanding disputes.
Minister of State for foreign Affairs Khusro Bakhtiar, MNAs Dr Attiya Inayatullah, Meena Ehsan Leghari, Abdul Qadir Jamaluddin Al-Gillani, Malik Zaheer Abass Khokhar, Sher Akbar Khan, Dr Sahibzada Abul Khair Mohammad Zubai and Farzeen Ahmad Sarfraz attended the meeting.
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