ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Pakistan’s foreign office on Friday confirmed that a meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s special assistant on tourism, Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan, and an Israeli official at a global travel fair in London was not authorised by the government.
The incident gained attention after a video circulated on social media showing Khan interacting with Michael Izhakov, Director General of Israel’s Ministry of Tourism, at the Pakistan pavilion during the World Travel Market (WTM).
Tahir Andrabi, spokesperson for the foreign office, told reporters that no prior approval or information had been given to the government regarding the meeting. “I can assure you that if at all such a meeting or such an interaction took place, it was without authorisation, certainly without information to us and certainly without authorisation by the government,” he said.
Andrabi added that it was unfair to link the incident with speculation about Pakistan joining the Abraham Accords or recognising Israel, calling such conclusions “too far-fetched.”
In a statement, Khan explained that he was unaware he was meeting an Israeli delegation. He attended the WTM at his own expense, leading a 31-member Pakistani tourism delegation to promote the country as a global travel destination. “During the event, a group of individuals from Israel visited the Pakistan Pavilion unannounced and met the Pakistani delegation without introducing themselves,” the statement said.
Khan emphasised that despite the unexpected encounter, he remained focused on promoting a “positive and progressive tourism narrative for Pakistan across the world.” The WTM, held annually in London, attracts tourism boards, airlines, hotel groups, travel-tech firms and tour operators from over 180 countries, offering a major platform for business deals and partnerships shaping global travel flows.
The foreign office reiterated Pakistan’s long-standing stance in support of an independent Palestinian state with pre-1967 borders and East Jerusalem as its capital. Domestic political sentiment continues to oppose recognition of Israel without a just settlement for Palestinians.
Speculation on whether Pakistan might join the Abraham Accords has circulated recently, particularly after high-level contacts between Pakistani leaders and US President Donald Trump, who last month expressed hope that more states would normalise relations with Israel. Pakistani officials, however, have consistently rejected such suggestions.