Jaishankar–Pak Speaker handshake at Khaleda Zia funeral sparks political debate
New Delhi: In the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, relations between India and Pakistan have sharply deteriorated, with no formal dialogue or engagement between the two countries. Against this backdrop, a brief handshake between India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Pakistan’s National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq during the funeral of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia has triggered political debate, with Pakistan projecting the moment as a diplomatic “breakthrough”.
Reacting strongly to such claims, former Indian diplomat Suresh K. Goel dismissed Pakistan’s narrative as “laughable” and termed the reports a “big joke”. Speaking to ANI, Goel said Pakistan was attempting to exaggerate a routine diplomatic courtesy into a major achievement, despite the prevailing hostile environment between the two nations.
“I feel like laughing when I see such reports. In the current situation, where Pakistan continues to facilitate terror attacks on Indian soil, their leadership is busy projecting symbolic gestures as diplomatic successes,” Goel said. He added that Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir’s aggressive posturing stood in sharp contrast to the ground reality, where terror infrastructure continues to be nurtured and revived.
Goel further remarked that Pakistani leaders often rush to engage Indian officials whenever an opportunity arises. “Pakistani ministers almost stalk Indian leaders. Whenever they see an Indian leader at an international event, they make a beeline to meet them and later project it as if they have achieved something significant. In reality, nothing substantial comes out of such encounters,” he said.
Begum Khaleda Zia’s funeral in Dhaka was attended by several international dignitaries, reflecting her stature in Bangladeshi politics. Representing India, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar arrived in Dhaka on December 31 and paid his respects to the late leader, also meeting her family to convey condolences. Pakistan was represented by National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq.
The brief handshake between Jaishankar and Sadiq, described by Indian officials as a purely formal and unavoidable courtesy at a multilateral gathering, has nevertheless been seized upon by Pakistani media as evidence of renewed engagement. Indian sources, however, have reiterated that there has been no change in India’s stance towards Pakistan, particularly in view of continued cross-border terrorism.
Analysts note that India’s participation in the funeral was rooted in its long-standing diplomatic ties with Bangladesh and respect for Khaleda Zia’s political legacy, and should not be misconstrued as signalling any thaw in India–Pakistan relations. The government has maintained that meaningful dialogue with Pakistan can only take place in an environment free of terrorism.
