On Wednesday, a meeting took place in Dhaka between Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, the Speaker of Pakistan's National Assembly, and Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar. Mohammad Yunus, the head of Bangladesh's interim government, shared this brief informal encounter on social media, noting that representatives from many South Asian countries were present, and Jaishankar met with all of them.
Foreign Minister Jaishankar was in Dhaka to attend the funeral of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. This meeting between Indian and Pakistani leaders happened amid tensions since the brief war in May earlier this year, affecting not only politics but also sports, with Indian cricket players refusing to shake hands with their Pakistani counterparts in international tournaments.
Sharing photos of Jaishankar's meeting with the Pakistani leader, Yunus tweeted on X, 'Speaker of Pakistan's National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq greeted India's Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar in Dhaka on Wednesday, ahead of the funeral ceremony for former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.'
The meeting between the two leaders took place at Khaleda Zia's residence. She, Bangladesh's first female prime minister and one of the most influential political figures, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 80.
She was accorded a state funeral in Bangladesh, with the national flag at half-mast. As her body, draped in the national flag, was taken through Dhaka's streets, thousands of security personnel were deployed, and the city's population turned out in large numbers for her funeral.
World leaders and senior officials from countries including India and Pakistan gathered in Dhaka to attend Zia's funeral. Besides Jaishankar and Pakistan's Speaker Sadiq, Bhutan's Foreign Minister D.N. Dungyel, Nepal's Foreign Minister Bala Nanda Sharma, Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Vijetha Herath, and Maldives' Higher Education and Employment Minister Dr. Ali Haider were present. Jaishankar also met with other leaders.
In the photo shared by Yunus, Jaishankar and Sadiq are seen formally shaking hands. There was no information about any formal dialogue taking place.
This encounter between Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar and Pakistani Speaker Ayaz Sadiq marks the first dialogue between senior Indian and Pakistani officials after the brief conflict in May 2025, where Pakistan faced a significant defeat.
The conflict resulted from a terrorist attack in Pahalgam for which Pakistan was blamed. Pakistan-sponsored terrorists attacked Pahalgam in Kashmir on April 22, killing 26 people and injuring dozens more.
India held Pakistan responsible for the attack, escalating tensions. On May 7, India launched Operation Sindoor, targeting terrorists and their bases in Pakistan and POK. Pakistan retaliated, but India's air defense system successfully thwarted the counterattack.
India's successful operation inflicted considerable damage on terrorist bases in Pakistan, eliminating at least 100 terrorists. Relations between India and Pakistan have become increasingly strained since this conflict.
