No export consignment sent to Israel, says trade secretary

LAHORE: Pakistan has not exported anything to Israel, and there are no official diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Secretary of Commerce and Trade Sualeh Ahmad Faruqui has confirmed that Pakistan has not sent any export consignment to Israel, and any claims suggesting otherwise are merely disinformation for political purposes.

The customs officials at the Karachi Port have also confirmed that no trade consignment was shipped from Pakistan to Israel. Also, Israel does not exist in the Pakistani customs system as a destination for import or export.

Although efforts have been made to persuade Pakistan by the United States to recognise Israel as a sovereign state, Pakistan has never recognised Israel as an independent state.

It is important to note that if someone imports something from Pakistan and then sends it anywhere in the world, including Israel, it is not considered an export from Pakistan to that country.

Similarly, while bilateral trade between Pakistan and India has been suspended for more than three years, the availability of Pakistani and Indian products in their respective countries’ markets does not constitute trade between the two countries.

The recent statement by the American Jewish Congress regarding a shipment of Pakistani-originated food products being offloaded in Israel is not accurate.