Pakistan Amplifies Jaishankar–Sadiq Handshake Amid Strained Ties
The brief exchange took place on the sidelines of the funeral of former Bangladesh prime minister Khaleda Zia, which both leaders attended.
Islamabad: Pakistan’s top leadership on Wednesday appeared eager to highlight what India has described as a routine courtesy handshake between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and the Speaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly, Ayaz Sadiq, during an event in Dhaka.
The brief exchange took place on the sidelines of the funeral of former Bangladesh prime minister Khaleda Zia, which both leaders attended. It was among the few visible senior-level contacts since bilateral relations deteriorated earlier this year following the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 tourists were killed. India has stated that the attack was carried out by Pakistan-backed terror networks.
According to a press release issued by Pakistan’s National Assembly Secretariat, Islamabad claimed that the handshake occurred when External Affairs Minister Jaishankar approached Ayaz Sadiq during the event, reported Dawn.
The NA Secretariat release said that since the Pahalgam attack, Pakistan has “consistently emphasised dialogue, restraint and cooperative measures,” including proposals for peace talks and joint investigations, to prevent escalation and aggression.
India-Pakistan relations came under severe strain following the Pahalgam terror attack, after which India undertook calibrated diplomatic and strategic measures to safeguard national security. New Delhi scaled down diplomatic engagement and reiterated its long-standing position that dialogue cannot coexist with terrorism.
Among the key measures taken by India was the suspension of participation in the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), the 1960 World Bank-brokered agreement, underscoring the seriousness with which India viewed the security situation. India also restricted cross-border transit and other bilateral engagements, stressing that any engagement must be preceded by concrete action against terrorism.
Against this backdrop, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025, targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir in response to the Pahalgam attack. Indian Armed Forces carried out precision strikes against camps operated by Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan and PoK.
India subsequently repelled Pakistani escalation and targeted its airbases, reinforcing its position on counter-terrorism and national security.
India has consistently maintained that any engagement with Pakistan must be based on mutual respect, verifiable security assurances, and a terrorism-free environment, while firmly safeguarding its national interests.