Caption:Brief high-level India-Pakistan interaction amid strained ties atKhaleda Zia funeral
ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq has revealed thatIndian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar personallyapproached him for a meeting during the funeral ceremonies of formerBangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in Dhaka, accompanied by cameramento capture the moment for photographs.
The brief interaction, which involved a handshake and exchange ofpleasantries, marked the first high-level contact between officials of thetwo neighbouring countries since the intense military conflict in May 2025,triggered by a terrorist attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives.Accordingto sources familiar with the event, Jaishankar walked over to Sadiq at thevenue, introducing himself and initiating the greeting, while photographerswere accompanied to document the encounter, highlighting its symbolicimportance.
This encounter occurred on the sidelines of the state funeral attended bydignitaries from across South Asia and beyond, underscoring the diplomaticdecorum maintained despite ongoing bilateral tensions over cross-borderterrorism and security issues.Photographs of the handshake were widelyshared on social media by Bangladesh’s interim Chief Adviser MuhammadYunus, describing it as an exchange of greetings ahead of the funeralprogramme for the late opposition leader.
The meeting has been interpreted differently by both sides, with Pakistaniofficials emphasising Jaishankar’s initiative as a gesture towardsdialogue, while Indian sources described it as a protocol-driven customaryinteraction.Relations between India and Pakistan have remained strained followingOperation Sindoor, India’s military response to the Pahalgam attackattributed to Pakistan-based groups, leading to a brief but significantescalation.
No substantive discussions took place during the brief exchange, whichlasted only a few moments in the presence of other foreign delegationspaying respects at Bangladesh’s Parliament House.Khaleda Zia, Bangladesh’s first female prime minister and a key politicalfigure, passed away at the age of 80, drawing international attention andrepresentatives from over 30 countries to her funeral.
Speaker Sadiq also held separate meetings with BNP acting chairman TariqueRahman and other Bangladeshi officials, conveying condolences on behalf ofPakistan’s leadership during his visit.The presence of both Jaishankar andSadiq in Dhaka provided a rare opportunity for visual diplomacy, withimages of their handshake circulating globally as a momentary thaw infrosty ties.
Analysts note that such interactions, even if brief and photographed, cansignal potential openings for backchannel communication amid persistentchallenges in formal bilateral engagement.Pakistan has repeatedly calledfor dialogue and cooperative mechanisms to address mutual concerns,including joint investigations into terrorist incidents, while maintainingits stance against terrorism.
The May 2025 conflict saw limited airstrikes and border skirmishes beforeinternational mediation helped restore calm, but core issues like Kashmirand terrorism remain unresolved.This Dhaka encounter, facilitated by theshared platform of mourning a regional leader, reflects the complexities ofSouth Asian diplomacy where personal courtesies coexist with strategicrivalries.
Source:https://www.dawn.com/news/1964291/na-speaker-sadiq-indian-fm-jaishankar-shake-hands-in-dhaka-in-first-high-level-contact-since-may-conflict
Tags: Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Jaishankar, Ayaz Sadiq, Khaleda Zia
ogimageimage-name