Is Cash-Strapped Pakistan Begging For Talks? Desperate Islamabad Spins And Hypes Jaishankar’s ‘Courtesy’ Handshake In Dhaka

India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar briefly interacted with Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq in Dhaka on Wednesday. This was the first high-level contact between New Delhi and Islamabad since India’s Operation Sindoor. The exchange took place on the sidelines of the funeral of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.

According to reports, the interaction between the two was limited to an exchange of greetings and was described by Indian officials as a courtesy encounter, with no formal talks held.

Bangladesh’s Muhammad Yunus Shares Photo of Brief Interaction

Bangladesh’s interim government chief Muhammad Yunus publicly acknowledged the meeting by sharing photographs of the two leaders greeting each other at the event.

“Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan, exchanges greetings with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in Dhaka on Wednesday ahead of the funeral programme of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia,” Yunus said while posting the images.

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The photographs quickly drew attention due to the absence of any senior-level engagement between India and Pakistan in recent months.

Jaishankar was attending the funeral as India’s official representative and also handed over a condolence letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Rahman, conveying India’s sympathies following Khaleda Zia’s death.

Pakistan Desperately Attempts to Amplify The Courtesy Gesture

The brief interaction became the subject of heightened commentary in Pakistan, with Islamabad’s leadership attempting to project the handshake as a diplomatic signal, despite its informal nature.

According to a report by Pakistani newspaper Dawn, the Pakistan National Assembly Secretariat issued a press release claiming that the handshake occurred when Jaishankar approached Ayaz Sadiq during the event.

The press release asserted that Pakistan has, since the Pahalgam terror attack, “consistently emphasised dialogue, restraint and cooperative measures, including proposals for peace talks and joint investigations… to prevent unprovoked aggression and escalation.”

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