P akistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri has said that a large Pakistani delegation whose upcoming visit to Israel was reported by the media was in fact planning to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The delegation "is going to meet Mahmoud Abbas," but "we need facilities from the Israelis" to enable the team to visit the Palestinian Authority chairman, Kasuri told reporters in the Qatari capital. He did not say if the delegation would also be meeting Israeli officials or give details about its size or the date of its trip.
| In other words, they are, because they think there's something in it for them, but they deny it because the fact is guaranteed to tighten turbans. |
Kasuri was responding to a question about a report on Israeli military radio Saturday which said that a 200-member delegation of Pakistani officials and businessmen would visit Israel in early November, in a bid to bring closer the two countries which have no diplomatic relations. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom are to receive the Pakistani delegation of retired generals, religious leaders, politicians and business people, the radio said, though there was no official Israeli confirmation. Relations between the second most populous Muslim country and the Jewish state were hostile for decades, but began to warm up after Israel offered aid to Pakistan following the October 8 devastating earthquake. |