ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan's opposition parties have chosen to renew their calls for President Pervez Musharraf to step down immediately following the first ever face-to-face meeting between the foreign ministers of Pakistan and Israel.
There seems little public appetite across Pakistan to back protests against contacts with Israel, in spite of Pakistan's long-standing policy of refusing to recognize Israel in accordance with the policies of most other Muslim countries.
Many argue that the recent Israeli agreement to pull out of Gaza has created a new reason for consultations between Tel Aviv and Islamic states, although most Islamic countries have long opposed Israel's very existence. At a time when Israel is showing some signs of softening hardline positions, its decision to engage with Islamic countries could prompt further concessions beyond the Gaza pullout.