Islamabad attempts to amplify brief handshake during Dhaka funeral
Islamabad is currently making a desperate attempt to frame a brief social encounter as a major diplomatic breakthrough. During the funeral of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in Dhaka, India's External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, shared a courtesy handshake with Ayaz Sadiq, the Speaker of Pakistan's National Assembly. While such gestures are common at international gatherings, the Pakistani leadership is trying to amplify this moment to advocate for renewed peace talks and "de-escalation."
India’s stance, however, remains rock-solid: dialogue and terrorism cannot coexist. The India Pakistan relations hit a significant low earlier this year following a brutal terror attack in Pahalgam. That incident resulted in the loss of 26 innocent tourists, an act that New Delhi directly linked to terror networks operating from Pakistani soil. Since then, the Indian government has initiated calibrated strategic measures to safeguard national security, effectively freezing high-level diplomatic engagements.
Pakistan’s National Assembly Secretariat recently claimed that Jaishankar was the one to approach Sadiq. They used the press release to emphasize a need for "joint investigations" and "cooperative measures." From the Indian perspective, this is seen as a strategic distraction. India has already shown its resolve through Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7, 2025. This operation involved precision strikes by the Indian Armed Forces against Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba camps located in Pakistan and PoK.
Beyond military action, India has applied diplomatic pressure by suspending participation in the Indus Waters Treaty, a landmark 1960 agreement. This move highlighted the seriousness with which India views the current security situation. New Delhi continues to maintain that any meaningful engagement requires Islamabad to take verifiable action against terrorism and provide a safe, terror-free environment. Until such accountability is established, a simple handshake in Dhaka will not change the cold reality of the current diplomatic landscape.
