Foreign Minister S Jaishankar meets top Pakistan leader months after Operation Sindoor; here’s what we know

S Jaishankar met Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Speaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly during his Bangladesh visit.

S. Jaishankar in Bangladesh: Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia was laid to rest in Dhaka, where leaders from several countries attended her funeral to pay their respects. Notably, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar was also present at the ceremony. During his Bangladesh visit, Jaishankar met Khaleda Zia’s son, Tarique Rahman after the funeral. Notably, Tarique Rahman is the acting president of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). During the meeting, Jaishankar expressed his condolences and handed over a letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

S Jaishankar meets top Pakistani leader

However, Jaishankar also briefly met a senior Pakistani leader at the same venue, which later became a topic of discussion on social media. Photos of the meeting were shared online, drawing attention as it marked the first interaction between senior Indian and Pakistani leaders since Operation Sindoor.

What was discussed between Jaishankar and Sardar Ayaz Sadiq?

The Pakistani leader Jaishankar met was Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Speaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly. Officials clarified that the interaction was informal. There was no discussion on India-Pakistan bilateral relations during the meeting.

“This interaction marked the first significant high-level contact initiated by the Indian side following the Pakistan-India conflict in May 2025,” the National Assembly Secretariat said in a statement..

The statement went on to say that “Pakistan has consistently emphasised dialogue, restraint, and cooperative measures, including proposals for peace talks and joint investigations” into the Pahalgam attack in which 26 people were killed”.

“Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Speaker of the National 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’s Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus’s office posted on ‘X’ along with a photograph