Pakistan has cited a recent handshake between EAM Jaishankar and its Speaker Sadiq, calling for renewed talks to ease tensions following recent escalations. The relations between the two South Asian neighbours have strained post Pahalgam terror attacks.
Pakistan has attempted to amplify what was initially a courtesy handshake between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and the Speaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly, Ayaz Sadiq, in Dhaka on 31 December.
The exchange took place on the sidelines of the funeral of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, which Sadiq and Jaishankar attended. It was among the few visible contacts at the senior level since relations deteriorated earlier this year following the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 tourists were killed in Jammu and Kashmir.
Pakistan’s National Assembly Secretariat issued a press release claiming that the handshake occurred when Jaishankar approached Ayaz Sadiq during the event, according to Pakistani newspaper Dawn.
The press 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 unprovoked aggression and escalation”.
S Jaishankar on Wednesday represented India at the funeral of Khaleda Zia and handed over the letter of condolence from PM Modi to Rahman.
Khaleda Zia, the three-time Bangladesh prime minister and BNP matriarch, died on Tuesday following a prolonged illness.
Strained India-Pak Ties
India-Pakistan relations came under severe strain earlier this year following the terror attack in Pahalgam, after which India undertook calibrated diplomatic and strategic measures to safeguard national security.
In response to the attack, India scaled down diplomatic engagement and initiated policy steps reflecting its long-standing position that dialogue cannot coexist with terrorism. Among these measures was the suspension of participation in the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), a landmark 1960 agreement brokered by the World Bank, highlighting the seriousness with which India viewed the security situation.
India also restricted cross-border transit and other bilateral engagements, reiterating that any engagement requires demonstrable action against terrorism and accountability for attacks targeting civilians.
India launched Operation Sindoor on 7 May 2025, targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir in response to the attack.
In the operation, Indian Armed Forces carried out precision strikes against terror camps operated by Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK). India subsequently repelled Pakistani escalation and targeted its airbases.
India has consistently emphasised 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.
(With ANI inputs)
