ISLAMABAD: A viral social media clip claiming to show Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif commenting on the Abraham Accords is being shared without context, as the footage is not recent and originates from an earlier television interview that has resurfaced online.
The video, widely circulated on X, features Khawaja Asif speaking during an appearance on Samaa TV’s program Nadeem Malik Live in October 2025.
In the interview, Asif stated that Pakistan opposed any move that conflicted with its “fundamental ideas” regarding Israel and Palestine.
The viral posts misleadingly present the clip as a recent statement linked to ongoing diplomatic developments, despite the interview having aired nearly a year earlier in October 2025.
The clip resurfaced after US President Donald Trump linked a potential Iran peace deal to the expansion of the Abraham Accords, calling on several Muslim-majority countries — including Pakistan — to normalise ties with Israel as part of a broader regional settlement.
However, the viral video being shared online is not recent and is taken from an old television interview that has been recirculated without context.
“We have a very clear stand that this thing is not acceptable to us,” Asif said during the programme while discussing the Abraham Accords.
He also pointed to Pakistan’s longstanding diplomatic position, saying Pakistani passports remain among the few that do not recognise Israel.
Replying to a second question, Asif said: “I personally don’t think that we should be a part of any such accord that clashes with our fundamental ideas.”
He further clarified that no formal initiative regarding the Abraham Accords had been taken by Pakistan and that no proposal had been communicated to the government.
“I don’t think that any initiative has been taken by us in this regard, nor has anyone told us, but I am stating my own personal opinion,” he added.
This old clip ( Oct 2025 ) of Pakistan’s Defense minister has created interesting discussions and has been picked up by various international media outlets. Surprisingly, nobody seems to exercise due diligence with respect to its context and timing. pic.twitter.com/Oze0OU0Xoh
— Ammar Solangi (@fake_burster) May 28, 2026
The resurfaced clip gained traction after several international and regional accounts circulated short excerpts without mentioning that the interview was nearly a year old.
An X account named “Shahid Khaqan Abbasi (Fan)”, which appears to support former Pakistani prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and is followed by more than 54,000 users, criticised the circulation of the clip, calling it a misleading attempt to gain views by linking an old interview to the current debate surrounding the Abraham Accords.
Pakistan does not recognise Israel and has repeatedly stated that normalisation would depend on the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
As discussions surrounding the accords continue to attract international attention, presenting outdated remarks as current statements risks fuelling misinformation and distorting public understanding of official policy positions.
