India’s FM shakes hands with Pakistan's Speaker during paying respects to Khaleda Zia

High-level representatives from two rival South Asian countries met in Dhaka while paying their last respects to former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia.

Today, Wednesday, before the formal ceremony to honour Khaleda Zia, a courtesy exchange took place between the Indian and Pakistani representatives.

Pakistan’s parliament Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and India’s foreign minister S Jaishankar both came to Dhaka to pay their final respects to former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.

Earlier today, before Khaleda Zia’s funeral prayer, six representatives from SAARC countries gathered in a designated room in the South Block of the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban to pay their respects. Also present in the room were Nepal’s Foreign Minister Bala Nanda Sharma, Bhutan’s Foreign Minister DN Dhungyel, the Maldives’ special envoy of the president and higher education minister Ali Haider Ahmed, and Sri Lanka’s foreign minister Vijita Herath.

At one point, India’s foreign minister S Jaishankar stepped forward and shook hands with Pakistan’s parliament speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq. The two exchanged greetings at that time.

Anas Mallick, head of Asia One News’ Islamabad bureau, wrote on his X handle from Islamabad: “India’s foreign minister S Jaishankar stepped forward and shook hands with Pakistan’s parliament speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq. They exchanged greetings. This is the first high-level contact between the two countries since the conflict in May this year.”