ISLAMABAD: Ruling out the apprehensions of the opposition regarding an alleged U-turn in foreign policy with regard to the meeting of Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri with his Israeli counter part, Silvan Shalom, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz categorically stated on Friday that Pakistan has not made any decision to recognise Israel and contacts with it in no way should be construed as a recognition of Israel.

"When there is a change in the policy, parliament would be taken on board and all the decisions would be taken with the consultation of parliament. At the moment there is no change in foreign policy with regard to the recognition of Israel," he said while speaking in the National Assembly on Friday.

The prime minister said Pakistan foreign policy totally moves around national interests and the government would never make any compromise on national interests. He said Pakistan is playing a role at the request of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for the settlement of Palestinian issue through political means.

Giving the background of the recent meeting between the foreign ministers of Pakistan and Israel, he said the Turkish prime minister had also requested him during his visit to Ankara that Pakistan should play a role in the resolution of the Palestinian issue as Pakistan has a say in the Muslim Ummah.

"President Mahmoud Abbas in May this year had also requested President Pervez Musharraf that Pakistan could help in the peace process in view of the important position it enjoys internationally and within the Islamic world and could effectively impress upon Israel the need for moving forward and respecting the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people," he told the National Assembly.

The prime minister said Pakistan does not believe in back door channels and that is the reason the meeting took place openly. "I told the Turkish prime minister that Pakistan will send its foreign minister and we have took into confidence the friendly countries, particularly King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, the Jordanian king and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas before going into meeting with Israel," he added.

Shaukat said the foreign minister, during his meeting with his Israeli counterpart, reiterated Pakistan’s principled stand on the Palestinian issue and once again demanded complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the occupied Palestinian territories.

The prime minister said the meeting between the two foreign ministers would have a positive impact on the geo-strategic environment of the region and "we cannot isolate ourselves from the world".

He said Pakistan believes in inter-faith dialogue and harmony and this engagement also aims at promoting interfaith harmony, which he added would have positive effects on the resolution of Kashmir issue.

Shaukat said there is no harm in meeting people, but there should be confidence that we will protect our national interests while talking to anyone on any international issue. "We should have confidence in ourselves and not to shy from dialogue with others," he added.

The prime minister said if opposition wants a detailed discussion on this issue the government is ready for it. "We will agree to opposition’s good points and that such an approach will improve the political situation in the country," he said.

He said there is only a single agenda of the present government and that is to strengthen Pakistan and to protect the national interests. "We are playing on the front foot," he added. The prime minister said the Muslim Ummah has come to recognize President Musharraf’s role in resolving the issues being confronted by the Ummah.

Turning to Pak-India talks, the prime minister said Kashmir is the core issue between the two countries and peace cannot be restored without resolving this issue. He said Pakistan is a peace-loving country and wanted to live in peace with its neighbours but it could not compromise on principles.

Earlier, wrapping up the debate on the adjournment motion moved by the opposition with regard to Pakistan high-level contact with Israel at a level of foreign ministers, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar said Pakistan has been engaged in these efforts on the request of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas who made a request to President Musharraf during his visit to Islamabad to play an active role in the resolution of the long standing Palestinian issue.

"Pakistan has always accorded diplomatic and humanitarian support to the Palestinian cause and would continue this support in future also," he added.

He referred to the presidential address to the UN General Assembly last year in which he had called for a just resolution of Palestine and Kashmir issue to root out terrorism. "The Pakistan government in this back ground is duty bound to play a positive and active role to resolve these issues," he added.

He reiterated that this engagement does not mean the recognition of Israel. "Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, and Morocco have recognized Israel while negotiations in this respect were going on with Syria and Lebanon," he added.