'Protocol-Driven, Customary': Govt Sources On Meeting Between Jaishankar, Pakistani Official In Dhaka

Last Updated:December 31, 2025, 23:02 IST

Jaishankar arrived in Dhaka earlier in the day to attend the funeral of Khaleda Zia, who died on Tuesday following a prolonged illness.

Dhaka was merely a third-country venue for the event and had no role as a facilitator or mediator in any engagement between India and Pakistan. (X/@ChiefAdviserGoB)

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Wednesday met Pakistan Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq in Dhaka ahead of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s funeral, marking the first high-profile interaction between India and Pakistan since Operation Sindoor.

As per government sources, there was nothing to read into the brief exchange as it did not amount to any bilateral engagement between India and Pakistan.

The interaction took place on the sidelines of the funeral of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and was attended by multiple dignitaries from different countries.

“Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Speaker of the Assembly of Pakistan, exchanges greetings with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in Dhaka on Wednesday ahead of the funeral programme of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia," Bangladesh interim government chief Muhammad Yunus said while sharing the photos of the brief meeting.

Describing the exchange as protocol-driven, sources said that such brief interactions are customary at multilateral events like state funerals and do not reflect any diplomatic outreach or dialogue.

“This was not part of any bilateral engagement. There was no formal meeting, discussion or agenda scheduled or held between the two sides," sources told CNN-News18.

They added that Dhaka was merely a third-country venue for the event and had no role as a facilitator or mediator in any engagement between India and Pakistan.

Sources further emphasised that the brief exchange does not indicate any change in India’s position or policy towards Pakistan. India’s stance remains that normalisation of ties can only take place in an environment free of cross-border terrorism, they said.

Jaishankar arrived in Dhaka earlier in the day to attend the funeral of Khaleda Zia, who died on Tuesday following a prolonged illness. A dominant figure in Bangladesh politics for decades, Zia led the country several times and headed the Bangladesh ist Party (BNP).

Representing India at the funeral, Jaishankar handed over a personal letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman, the eldest son of the former prime minister.

Pahalgam Terror Attack and Op Sindoor

In one of the biggest attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, Lashkar-linked terrorists opened fire on a group of tourists in Pahalgam on Tuesday, April 22, killing at least 26 people, including foreign tourists, and injuring many others. The Resistance Front (TRF), a Lashkar offshoot, claimed responsibility for the attack.

India launched “precision strikes" under Operation Sindoor on nine terror targets in Pakistan and PoK following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians.

In its initial phase, the Indian Air Force focused on dismantling terror camps linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The strikes killed over 100 terrorists, including 10 family members of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar and four close aides.

But when Pakistan attempted a retaliatory military response, including plans to target Indian cities and key installations, India escalated. In a decisive second phase, carried out on the night of May 9–10, Indian forces struck a string of major Pakistani airbases, including Nur Khan, Sargodha, Jacobabad, Murid, and Rafiqui, inflicting damage that Islamabad is still struggling to account for publicly.

The operation sparked four days of cross-border fighting involving fighter jets, missiles and artillery.

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