Pakistan May Need To Come Up With A Whole New Passport If It Agrees To Join Abraham Accords

Last Updated:May 27, 2026, 09:54 IST

The development came as Washington and Tehran remain at loggerheads over key issues, including Iran's uranium enrichment and its nuclear program, amid an already-fragile ceasefire

U.S. President Donald Trump left Pakistan in a Catch-22 situation, pushing for Islamabad to join the Abraham Accords and formally recognise Israel. He argued that a broader diplomatic coalition should emerge as a compulsory part of any future regional peace arrangement with Iran.

The development came as Washington and Tehran remain at loggerheads over key issues — including Iran’s uranium enrichment and its nuclear program — amid an already-fragile ceasefire.

“The Abraham Accords have proven to be, for the Countries involved (The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan, and Kazakhstan), a Financial, Economic, and Social BOOM, even during this time of Conflict and War, with the current Members never even suggesting leaving, or taking so much as even a pause", Trump wrote in a post on ‘Truth Social’.

He suggested the Abraham Accords — named after the biblical figure Abraham — have been “great" for the Arab nations, adding it will be “even better" for every other nation who joins the pact.

Trump said the United States had spent significant effort trying and putting together a “very complex puzzle“, calling on key Muslim-majority countries to formally normalise relations with Israel, a key ally of Washington.

Pakistan At Crossroads

Pakistan — which has never recognised Israel in its 78 years of history — appeared to be at crossroads over Trump’s appeal. Islamabad had two options: 1. Bow down to Trump and 2. Remain firm in its long-standing stance against formally recognising Israel.

However, it seems that Pakistan chose the latter, with the country’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif asserting compromising on its “fundamental ideologies" was unacceptable.

“I don’t think we should join any such accord that clashes with our fundamental ideologies. How will you sit down with those people whose word cannot be trusted even for a single day?" Asif said in an interview with Samaa TV.

About The Abraham Accords

First signed in 2020, the Abraham Accords are U.S.-brokered agreements between Israel and several Arab nations.

The agreement underlines a framework for peace and shared cooperation among followers of Judaism, Islam and Christianity, aiming to normalise relations between Jerusalem and the Arab countries.

The Problem With Pak Is: Its Passport

Even in its wildest dreams, if Pakistan chose to enter Abraham Accords, it would encounter one bureaucratic problem — its passport.

Islamabad’s passport comes an explicit restriction, banning its citizens from traveling to Israel. “This passport is valid for all countries of the world except Israel", reads the line printed inside every booklet.

Any agreement with Israel would require Pakistan to eliminate the “except Israel" restriction from future passport designs. And that would be a headache for Pak as normalised diplomatic relations is not merely symbolic but requires changes on the ground, including visa systems and immigration rules.

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