There is a handshake and then there are Shehbaz-Shakes.
If a psychologist analyzed the prime minister’s body language in videos and images from his encounter with President Donald Trump, they would tell you that his stiffness, constant fidgeting and longer than normal handshakes are signs of excitement and anxiety. And yet Pakistan is on a geopolitical top that we haven’t seen in a long time.
Shehbaz and Field Marshal Chief of Staff of Staff Army (Coas) Asim Munir meet US President Donald Trump in the White House of Washington DC on September 25, 2025. Photo courtesy PMO.
Trump described Prime Minister Shehbaz as a “big guy”, which is about the highest compliment you could receive from such a head of state.
The meeting in the oval office was closed door, so we can’t say if the hugs have worked their magic.
For each Saudi official whom Shehbaz greeted, his embraces were more awkward than the last. But he got us a defense agreement.
Videos and collections of the SCO summit flooded X, where people released humorous comments on how long and closes the prime minister’s hug. But again, these embraces came as he has signed Mou after Mou with different countries, clearly, indicating that the charm offensive is working.
FM Ishaq Dar and Chinese FM Wang Yi in Islamabad Photo: FO X account
Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar wholeheartedly also embraced this new school with diplomacy. No one was spared for “hand -sandwich.” When Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi walked down the red carpet, Dar was there waiting with bated breath and twitchy fingers.
And then, with shock or amazement, all the magic in handwich shehbaz-shake get to work: After a five-year delay, CPEC 2.0 was formally announced.
FM Ishaq Dar with Eygptian FM Badr Abdelatty Photo: X
Shehbaz held a bilateral meeting with chief adviser for Bangladesh -professor Muhammad Yunus on the sidelines for 80. Session by Unga. 25. September 2025 Photo: PMO X account
Maybe the key to diplomacy is not formality it is simply a ‘Jaadu Ki Jhappi‘.
