On June 19, PPP Senator Saleem Mandviwalla walked back his statement calling on Pakistan to focus on its “interests” with respect to Israel. Mandviwalla said that he never supported the recognition of, or trade with, the Jewish state, insisting that his words were being “distorted”. “We should not stop dialogue and trade with any country. People criticize Israel [but] we have to look after our own interests,” was his previous statement.
