Washington: Pakistan’s refusal to consider joining the Abraham Accords has triggered sharp criticism from Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who said Islamabad’s role in any Iran-related diplomacy was “more than problematic”.
The remarks came after Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif publicly rejected any possibility of Islamabad joining the Abraham Accords, saying such a move would violate the country’s “fundamental ideologies”.
In a post on X, Graham said: “It has been apparent to me for quite a while that Pakistan as a mediator is more than problematic. Their animosity towards Israel is long standing.”
Graham, who has traditionally been seen as friendly to Pakistan, is a close confidant of President Donald Trump.
“It is undeniable that Iranian military aircraft are being housed on Pakistani air bases and past rhetoric from the highest Pakistani officials against Israel is disturbing,” Graham said.
The senator also referred to earlier comments made by Asif opposing normalisation with Israel.
“As to the defence minister’s comments about the Abraham Accords, saying that Pakistan would never join because they don’t trust Israel: The clip may be a year old, but I fear the sentiment is fresh,” Graham wrote.
“In that regard, it is imperative that Pakistan give an answer now to President Trump’s call to join the Abraham Accords,” he added.
The comments followed reports circulating on social media and repeated in US media discussions alleging that Iran had parked military aircraft at Pakistani air bases amid heightened tensions in the Middle East.
Early this month Graham had slammed Pakistan during a Congressional hearing. “I don’t trust Pakistan as far as I can throw them. If they actually do have Iranian aircraft parked in Pakistan bases to protect Iranian military assets, that tells me we should be looking maybe for somebody else to mediate. No wonder this damn thing is going nowhere.”
Pakistan has not publicly responded to Graham’s latest allegations.
Speaking in an interview with Pakistani broadcaster Samaa TV, Asif rejected suggestions that Pakistan could join the Abraham Accords, which normalised relations between Israel and several Arab nations.
“Personally, I don’t think we should join any such accord that clashes with our fundamental ideologies,” Asif said.
Questioning engagement with Israel, he added: “How will you sit down with those people whose word cannot be trusted even for a single day?”
The controversy comes as President Donald Trump pushes for broader regional participation in the Abraham Accords as part of ongoing diplomacy linked to Iran.
(IANS)
