Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyan Jaishankar met with Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq at former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s residence today, December 31, 2025.
ISLAMABAD:
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyan Jaishankar met briefly with Pakistan’s National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq in Dhaka on Wednesday on the sidelines of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s funeral ceremonies, marking the first such interaction between senior officials from the two rivals since their military conflict in May.
The meeting took place at the residence of Khaleda Zia, who died on Tuesday at the age of 80. Zia was Bangladesh’s first female prime minister and one of the country’s most influential political figures. Her death was marked by a state funeral, with flags flying at half-mast and thousands of security personnel deployed as her body was carried through the streets of the capital in a vehicle draped in the national flag.
World leaders and senior officials from several countries, including India and Pakistan, traveled to Dhaka to attend the funeral ceremonies.
Speaker of the Qaumi Assembly, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, has arrived
Speaker of the Qaumi Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq کی کیکہ بیگم خالدہ زیاء زاب صیاء ک رحمان اور ساحبزادی سے کے
On this occasion, Khalilur Rahman, Bangladesh’s national security adviser and law adviser… pic.twitter.com/wYrjGBkW2q
— National Assembly 🇵🇰 (@NAofPakistan) 31 December 2025
According to officials present, Jaishankar went to Sadiq’s seat and greeted him with a handshake, which the Pakistani speaker returned with a smile. The two exchanged short pleasantries and inquired about each other’s well-being. No formal talks were reported.
The interaction was the first direct engagement between top Indian and Pakistani officials since the four-day conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbors in May 2025.
Relations between Pakistan and India deteriorated sharply after an attack in Pehalgam in April 2025. India accused Pakistan of involvement, a claim Islamabad denied. New Delhi subsequently suspended the Indus Waters Treaty and expelled Pakistani diplomats.
On May 7, India launched what it called Operation Sindoor, firing missiles at several locations in Pakistan and Azad Jammu Kashmir. The strikes caused civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure, while India said it targeted militant camps.
Read: Pahalgam attack: US issues travel advisory to its citizens in India
The conflict escalated into four days of fighting, with both sides using fighter jets, missiles, artillery and drones. Dozens of people were killed before a ceasefire was announced on May 10, brokered with the help of the United States.
After the fighting stopped, Pakistan said it had shot down seven Indian fighter jets, including French-made Rafales. India acknowledged “some casualties” but rejected Pakistan’s claim for the number of downed aircraft.
Despite the ceasefire, relations have remained frozen, with no real dialogue between the two countries. Wednesday’s brief and informal exchange in Dhaka underscored the continued absence of formal engagement, even as both sides share space at international and regional events.
