Pakistan on Sunday clarified that it never sent any merchandise to Israel following reports of its food products landing in the Jewish state.
The country faced a backlash after Pakistani-Jewish businessman Mr. Fishel BenKhald posted on social media a picture of Pakistani products in Israel.
It created a storm and the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party sought an explanation about any change in the official policy towards Israel.
In a statement, the Ministry of Commerce said that it was reported on social media that the first export shipment of Pakistan food products reached Israel, sent by Pakistani-Jewish businessman Fishel BenKhald recently as per the statement issued by the American Jewish Congress from its New York headquarters.
“Pakistan does not have diplomatic ties with Israel and does not recognise it as a sovereign state and neither it trades with Israel nor has banking relations. Pakistan Customs have confirmed that no shipment has been exported from Pakistan to Israel,” it said.
The ministry said that in case any goods or commodities of Pakistan origin are exported through a third country it cannot be termed as Pakistan exports to any country, including Israel.
“As neither the shipment was exported directly to Israel, nor payment received in any Pakistani bank, terming it trade between Pakistan and Israel is misleading and factually incorrect,” it said, adding that the government clarifies that no trade has taken place between Pakistan and Israel.
PTI leader Farrukh Habib demanded answers from the Foreign Office about the trade with Israel.
“Under which deal is this trade being done after the regime change? Why is the Pakistan Democratic Movement government silent on this?” Habib asked.
Earlier on March 28, Benkhald tweeted that he exported the first batch of Pakistan food products to Israel.
“Congratulations to me as a Pakistani. I exported the first batch of Pakistani food products to the Israel market,” Benkhald wrote.
“Dates, dry fruits, and a single container of spice,” he tweeted.
Pakistan does not have diplomatic ties with Tel Aviv and stated several times that a two-state solution in accordance with the relevant United Nations and OIC resolutions should be implemented to create a Palestine state with pre-1967 borders and Jerusalem as its capital. PTI SH RUP RUP
