Overview
- India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar briefly approached and shook hands with Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq in Dhaka during Begum Khaleda Zia’s state funeral on December 31, according to Pakistan’s National Assembly Secretariat.
- The Secretariat’s release described the moment as the first notable Indian-initiated senior contact since May 2025 and used it to reiterate calls for dialogue, restraint and joint investigations into the Pahalgam attack.
- Indian commentary characterized the handshake as routine courtesy at a multilateral event, with no indication of a policy shift on engagement with Pakistan.
- Ties have been strained since the May 2025 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 tourists, which India attributed to Pakistan-linked militant networks.
- In the aftermath, India launched Operation Sindoor against camps in Pakistan and PoK, reduced official engagement and, as reported, suspended participation in the Indus Waters Treaty framework.