December 17, 2020
The PTI has lashed out at PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz, alleging that she had accidentally "exposed" Nawaz Sharif by tweeting the link to an interview of i24, an Israeli news channel. Maryam had later deleted the tweet.
The PML-N leader had tweeted the link of an interview of researcher Noor Dahri by i24. Dahri can be heard speaking in the interview "about the recent visit of an advisor to the PM of Pakistan to Tel Aviv (Israel)".
However, Maryam Nawaz soon took the tweet down after posting it. The PTI shortly put up a screenshot of the tweet, stating that Maryam had deleted it after realising she had accidentally "exposed" her father.
In the interview, Dahri had claimed that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, during his tenure, had sent two delegations to Israel in a bid to normalise relations with the country.
"Maryam Nawaz just exposed her father Nawaz Sharif. She tweeted a link (then deleted) to the interview of Noor Dahri where he says Nawaz Sharif as PM sent 2 delegations to Israel to normalise relations #MaryamExposedNawaz," tweeted the PTI.
In the video clip from the interview, Dahri says that an advisor of PM Imran Khan arrived in Tel Aviv during the last week of November to carry a "special message" from the premier. He did not name the advisor, though.
However, he said that PM Imran Khan was not alone in taking the initiative. "Looking at history, Nawaz Sharif sent two delegations to Israel to normalise relations," said Dahri, adding that Benazir Bhutto had sent a delegation to Israel as well she was Pakistan's chief executive.
Rumours of Pakistan considering normalisation of ties with Israel started doing the rounds after the UAE and Bahrain recently inked a historic peace deal with Israel, normalising ties with the country in exchange for Israel halting its annexation of Palestinian territories.
Saudi Arabia had to reject speculation that it was also working towards normalising ties with Israel. Pakistan, in similar fashion, had to shoot down rumours that it was considering warming up to Israel, adding that PM Imran Khan's views were quite clear on the subject.
Special Assistant to Prime Minister for Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Zulfi Bukhari had denied rumours that he recently visited Israel.
Bukhari said he was with the deputy commissioner in Rawalpindi the day it is alleged that an advisor of the Pakistani government went to Israel.
The news report claimed the unnamed adviser was taken to the “foreign ministry of Israel where he met several political officials and diplomats and delivered the message of the Pakistani PM.”