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ISLAMABAD, Dec 31 (APP): National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq briefly met Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar during the state funeral of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia in Dhaka on Wednesday.
The two leaders exchanged a handshake after Dr Jaishankar approached the Speaker and introduced himself, saying, “Hi, I’m Jaishankar and I recognise you.” Sadiq responded with a brief but assured remark: “Thanks, I know you.”
The interaction, witnessed at the Parliament of Bangladesh while foreign ministers and high-level delegations were present, marked the first significant high-level contact initiated by the Indian side following the Pakistan-India conflict in May 2025. The meeting underscored Pakistan’s parliamentary decorum and diplomatic weight on the international stage.
Pakistan has consistently called for dialogue, restraint, and cooperation, urging peace talks and joint probes into the alleged False Flag Pahalgam incident to avoid escalation.
Earlier, Speaker Sadiq was received on arrival in Dhaka by Pakistan’s High Commissioner Imran Haider.
He visited the residence of the late Begum Khaleda Zia, where he met her son Tarique Rahman and her daughter, and conveyed condolences on behalf of the Prime Minister, the Parliament, the Government, Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Muneer, and the people of Pakistan.
He expressed profound grief over her demise, noting that her services for the progress and welfare of the people of Bangladesh would always be remembered with respect. He also paid homage to her contributions in strengthening Pakistan-Bangladesh relations during her tenure as Prime Minister.
During his visit, Speaker Sadiq also met Bangladesh’s National Security Advisor Khalil ur Rehman, Advisor on Law and Justice Asif Nazrul, and Acting BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, discussing matters of bilateral relations and mutual interests.
Later, the Speaker attended the state funeral of Begum Khaleda Zia, praying for her eternal peace and for strength to her bereaved family and the people of Bangladesh to bear the irreparable loss.