Jaishankar and Ayaz Sadiq have a brief conversation; Analysts warn against reading too much into the episode
National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar shake hands at the Bangladesh Parliament in Dhaka. Photo: ONLINE
ISLAMABAD:
National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq and Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar briefly exchanged greetings in Dhaka on Wednesday, marking the first high-level face-to-face interaction between officials of the two neighbors since their four-day military face-off in May last year.
The interaction took place on the sidelines of the funeral of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairman Khaleda Zia, who died on Tuesday following a prolonged illness.
Both Sadiq and Jaishankar were in Dhaka to represent their respective countries during the funeral rites. Although the meeting itself was brief and informal, the image of the two leaders shaking hands immediately attracted attention given the current freeze in India-Pakistan relations.
The photo was shared by the official X account of Bangladesh Director General Dr. Muhammad Yunus, head of the caretaker government of Bangladesh.
“Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan, exchanges greetings with Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar in Dhaka on Wednesday ahead of the funeral program of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia,” the message from Yunus’ office read.
The Indian government has not issued any statement on this interaction. However, the National Assembly Secretariat of Pakistan later confirmed the exchange in an official statement, providing more details.
According to the statement, President Ayaz Sadiq visited the Parliament of Bangladesh before the funeral to record his remarks in the book of condolences, where foreign ministers and representatives of high-level delegations from several countries were present.
“On this occasion, Indian Foreign Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar personally walked up to the Speaker of the National Assembly and introduced himself in a handshake,” the statement said. He added that Jaishankar remarked during the brief exchange that he was “familiar with the personality of President Ayaz Sadiq”.
Although diplomatic handshakes are commonplace at multilateral events, the symbolism of this particular interaction has attracted interest due to the highly conflictual state of relations between India and Pakistan over the past year and the hard line adopted by New Delhi under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.
Following the April 2025 Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and the subsequent four-day military conflict with Pakistan in May, India announced a policy of “no public engagement” with Pakistan in any form. This approach is not limited to diplomatic channels but also extends to sporting and cultural interactions.
Soon after the conflict, when the Indian and Pakistani cricket teams faced each other in the Asia Cup in the United Arab Emirates, the Indian players, apparently acting on government instructions, eschewed the customary post-match handshake. The Indian women’s team and junior teams then followed the same model, thus reinforcing New Delhi’s policy of symbolic disengagement.
In this context, the Ayaz-Jaishankar handshake sparked a debate over whether India might reconsider certain aspects of its public disengagement strategy, or whether the interaction should be seen strictly as a matter of diplomatic courtesy during a solemn international event.
Analysts warn against reading too much into the episode. They note that informal interactions at funerals and multilateral gatherings do not necessarily indicate a policy change. However, they also recognize that symbolism is important in diplomacy, particularly when relationships are otherwise frozen.
The year 2025 has been a difficult year for Indian foreign policy, with critics saying New Delhi’s assertive posture has contributed to growing regional and international unease. India’s decision to launch missile strikes following the Pahalgam attack, citing alleged Pakistani involvement, quickly escalated into a brief but intense military exchange.
Pakistan’s calibrated but forceful response surprised not only India but also several international observers, prompting urgent diplomatic intervention from major powers to prevent further escalation. Although the conflict lasted only four days, its political and diplomatic consequences were considerable.
For India, the confrontation highlighted the limits of its crisis management and sparked criticism of the risks of escalation between two nuclear-armed states. For Pakistan, this episode proved to be a turning point. Before the Pahalgam attack, Islamabad was grappling with diplomatic challenges and economic pressures. However, the post-conflict period has been marked by a notable change in Pakistan’s geostrategic position.
Pakistan’s handling of the crisis has been recognized by key international players, including US President Donald Trump, who publicly described Pakistan’s response as restrained but effective. At the same time, Pakistan’s traditional partnerships with the Arab world have gained new momentum.
In this broader context, Dhaka’s brief handshake, although devoid of any substantive diplomatic engagement, acquired outsized significance. Social media platforms in Pakistan and India were quick to amplify this image, with reactions ranging from cautious optimism to outright skepticism.
For now, officials on both sides appear to want to downplay the meeting. Yet in a region where even small gestures are closely scrutinized, the image of a handshake between senior Pakistani and Indian leaders has once again highlighted how symbolism can resonate far beyond the moment itself.
