Pak-Israel trade 'sheer propaganda' and rumour: Commerce ministry
Pakistan
Rana Sanaullah also termed such news as fake and bogus
LAHORE (Dunya News) – The Ministry of Commerce on Sunday termed rumors regarding trade between Pakistan and Israel as mere propaganda following a "false statement" issued by the American Jewish Congress (AJC), a US-based Jewish community organization.
Rumours of initiation of Pakistan-Israel trade are sheer propaganda against AJC's press release which is misrepresented, the ministry said in a statement. However, we do not have any commercial relations with Israel, nor do we plan to develop any in the future.
Farrukh Habib also raised questions on the news of Pak-Israel trade in his tweet.
— Farrukh Habib (@FarrukhHabibISF) April 1, 2023
Islamabad does not have diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv, and believes in a two-state solution to the pre-1967 borders and Al-Quds al-Sharif (Jerusalem) "in accordance with relevant UN and OIC resolutions as well as international law".
The Ministry of Commerce's statement came after a tweet by Fishel Benkhald, a Jewish Pakistani, on March 28 that he exported the first batch of Pakistani food products to the Israeli market. In his tweet, he tagged Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, former Prime Minister Imran Khan, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Ahsan Iqbal and Miftah Ismail.
— Fishel BenKhald (@Jew_Pakistani) March 28, 2023
Subsequently, the AJC issued a statement on March 30, saying that this week, the first cargo of food products of Pakistani origin was offloaded to Israel, in a dealing based in Pakistan's commercial hub of Karachi. Included were Pakistani Jewish businessman Fishel Benkhald, and three Israeli businessmen from Jerusalem and Haifa.
We welcome this small step that can have wider implications for Israeli and Pakistani economies and for the region at large," the statement said.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah stated that the current government has not allowed anyone to be involved in the trade. He said that we would investigate such news.
"Fishel Benkhald, a Jewish Pakistani, personally sent food samples through the United Arab Emirates to three businessmen from Jerusalem and Haifa whom he had met in foreign countries during food exhibitions", it added.
