FIRST POST
)
When a senior figure from the Israeli Tourism Ministry was seen greeting Pakistan’s adviser on tourism at the World Travel Market (WTM) in London earlier this month, the brief encounter immediately raised questions about Islamabad’s intentions and shifting alignments, especially in the age of United States President Donald Trump’s renewed West Asia strategy.
Although Israel and Pakistan have no formal diplomatic ties, Pakistan has already found itself referenced in discussions about the proposed International Stabilisation Force for Gaza, an initiative that forms a central part of Trump’s ceasefire blueprint.
How the incident unfolded
The World Travel Market — held annually in London — is a major platform where tourism ministries, national delegations, airlines and travel companies from more than 180 countries gather to promote destinations and negotiate commercial partnerships.
The 2025 edition was held from November 4 to November 6.
A video clip recorded by attendees captured the moment when Michael Izhakov, the Director General of Israel’s Ministry of Tourism, walked up to the Pakistani pavilion and shook hands with Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan, who serves as the Adviser and National Coordinator to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on tourism-related matters.
The video revealed a cordial exchange, prompting immediate social media buzz.
Israel and Pakistan do not maintain diplomatic relations, and Pakistan’s legal framework explicitly bars its citizens from visiting Israel. This prohibition has long been symbolic of Pakistan’s stated solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
However, a handful of Pakistanis — including a group of journalists and educators — have reportedly travelled to Israel this year despite the ban.
The presence of an Israeli tourism delegation at a major global event is not unusual, yet their visit to the Pakistan pavilion and the friendly nature of the exchange stood out because no official contacts between Islamabad and Tel Aviv have ever been acknowledged publicly.
What the Pakistan tourism adviser said
After the footage gained traction online, Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan issued a formal statement explaining the circumstances and denying that he had prior knowledge of who he was meeting.
????? ??????? – ??????? ?????? ????? ??????? ???????. ????? ???? ??????? WTM ???????, ???”? ???? ??????? ???????, ????? ??????, ???? ????? ?? ?????? ???????? ???? ?? ????? ?? ?????, ????? ???? ?? ??? ?? ????? ?? ??? ????? ?????? ??????? ??????, ?????? ????? ?????? ?’??. ?????,… pic.twitter.com/LmzkEgj0tr— roi kais • ???? ???? • ???? ???? (@kaisos1987) November 12, 2025
The statement noted that his delegation had independently funded its travel to London and was focused on promoting Pakistan’s tourism sector.
According to the statement, “During the event, a group of individuals from Israel visited the Pakistan Pavilion unannounced and met the Pakistani delegation without introducing themselves.”
How Islamabad reacted
At the weekly briefing in Islamabad, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi addressed repeated questions from journalists about the incident.
He stressed, “I can assure you that if at all such a meeting or such an interaction took place, it was without authorisation, certainly without information to us and certainly without authorisation by the government.”
The spokesperson stated that the Foreign Ministry had neither approved nor been informed of any such contact.
Another major development occurred in September, when Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met Daniel Rosen, the President of the American Jewish Congress, during his visit to New York.
Rosen is considered an important figure within US-based political networks connected to Israel.
Andrabi, however, described such attempts to associate the London exchange with larger strategic shifts — including Pakistan’s potential inclusion in the Abraham Accords — as unjustified.
He called such conclusions “too far-fetched” and advised media outlets to avoid excessive conjecture.
When asked about earlier reports indicating that Pakistani individuals had allegedly visited Israel in recent months, Andrabi clarified that such travel had not been authorised and would, if confirmed, fall under passport regulation violations.
He reiterated that interactions with Israeli authorities are not sanctioned by Pakistan’s government.
In another response, he stated, “I have not seen the report or any information on a meeting of the adviser to the prime minister or any public figure with an Israeli representative. I can assure you that if such a meeting or interaction took place, it was, certainly, without authorisation by the government.”
What Pakistani politicians had to say
First Post for more