What is Pakistan’s 'except Israel' passport rule in spotlight amid Trump’s Israel recognition call?

Pakistan is in a fix as US President Donald Trump said that Gulf nations including Pakistan will have to normalise ties with Israel before any peace deal between America and Iran. While Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif firmly rejected Trump’s push for the Abraham Accords stating that the ideologies of the two countries are completely different, there has been no official statement on the same by the Pakistani government or its foreign affairs ministry. Asif in his rejection highlighted an important part about the country’s existing passport policy. He stated that Pakistan has a clear position of not recognising Israel, reflected in its travel documents.

Why Pakistan will be required to change its passport?

The minister was actually pointing out to the fact that Pakistan is the only country whose passports explicitly do not mention Israel as a valid destination. Each Pakistani passport includes a line stating that it is valid for all countries except Israel. If Pakistan were to join the Abraham Accords and establish diplomatic relations with Israel, this policy would have to change. Normalisation under the accords typically involves recognition of Israel, opening of embassies or consulates, as well as trade, travel, and visa agreements. In such a scenario, the existing restriction in Pakistani passports would no longer be valid. At present, the wording on the passport creates a clear contradiction—on one hand, diplomatic recognition would imply formal ties, while on the other, the passport restricts citizens from travelling to Israel. Removing or revising this clause would therefore become necessary if Pakistan shifts its foreign policy stance. Roughly, 10–15 percent of population holds an active passport in Pakistan. The cost of renew of all it would be huge.

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However, it must be noted that Bangladesh previously included the same restriction in its passports after independence. In 2020, the government removed the “except Israel” clause, although officials maintained that the policy on Israel remained unchanged.

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What Pakistan said on Trump's offer to normalise ties with Israel

Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif rejected the idea saying it would be clash of “fundamental ideologies.” “How will you sit down with those people whose word cannot be trusted even for a single day?” Asif said, adding that Pakistani passports do not even include Israel’s name. In January 2026, when Pakistan joined Trump's Gaza Board of Peace, Pakistan “categorically ruled out” becoming a party to the Abraham Accords. The Pakistan Foreign Office said that Board of Peace and Abraham Accords should not be linked. Pakistan Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said that it was a “misconception" relating the two.“Joining the Board of Peace has no connection with the Abraham Accords and does not represent any deviation from Pakistan’s principled position on Palestine,” Andrabi said.

What Trump said and what is Abraham Accords

Trump said that six Muslim-majority countries must join the Abraham Accords ahead of any deal between the US and Iran to end the war. Announced during the first term of Donald Trump, the Abraham Accords is an agreement under which diplomatic relationship is established between Israel and several Arab states, on the mediation of the United States. Trump said that expansion of the accords “should start with the immediate signing by Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and everybody else should follow suit.” He added that during discussions with leaders of Muslim and Arab states, he told them that “after all the work done by the United States to try and pull this very complex puzzle together, it should be mandatory that all of these Countries, at a minimum, simultaneously, sign onto the Abraham Accords.”