Mushtaq Ahmed criticizes meeting between Pakistani and Israeli officials in London

At the London tourism fair last week, Sardar Ilyas Khan, Advisor and National Coordinator to the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was seen shaking hands with an Israeli official, despite Pakistan not recognising Israel.

A video of the exchange surfaced online and sparked strong backlash. The meeting took place between Israeli Tourism Ministry Director General Michael Izhakov and Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan near the entrance of the Pakistani pavilion at the World Travel Market in London.

Former senator Mushtaq Ahmed criticised the meeting on X, calling it a “betrayal” of the Palestinian cause.

He wrote, “Shameful… For Shehbaz, Zardari, and their patrons, the consequences of Trump’s lunches and praise have now begun to surface. Shaking hands with the killers of Palestinians is a betrayal of Al-Aqsa, Gaza, and the Palestinian people.”

شرمناک۔۔۔شہباز،زرداری اور ان کے سرپرستوں کےلئے، ٹرمپ کے لنچ کے اور تعریفوں کے نتائج سامنے آنا شروع ہوگئے۔۔۔۔فلسطینیوں کے قاتلوں سے ہاتھ ملانا اقصی، غزہ اور فلسطینیوں سے غداری ہے،پاکستان کے وزیراعظم کے مشیر برائے سیاحت سردار یاسر الیاس خان کا اسرائیلی وزارتِ سیاحت کے ڈائریکٹر… pic.twitter.com/x1rnG0NWrU

— Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan | سینیٹر مشتاق احمد خان (@SenatorMushtaq) November 13, 2025

He added that the Israeli Director General’s visit to the Pakistani pavilion was disgraceful and said, “The nation will never forgive the traitors of Palestine.”

Although Pakistan does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, recent years have seen reports of indirect contacts and small shifts in policy.

Pakistan has also been mentioned among countries expected to join an international force that may be deployed in Gaza after the war.

Despite this, Pakistani passport holders are still barred from travelling to Israel. Earlier this year, in March 2025, a delegation of Pakistani journalists and educators made a rare visit to Israel, defying the country’s travel restrictions.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has demanded clarification over the recent interaction between Isr@eli tourism officials and Pakistani tourism representatives at the London fair.

PTI’s official account on X reshared a video showing the meeting between the Adviser and National Coordinator to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Israeli Tourism Ministry Director General Michael Izhakov.

“Any deviation from Pakistan’s official position on Isr@el cannot and should not be overlooked,” the post on X stated.