A Significant Gesture: Pakistan and India's Historic Handshake

Pakistan and India engaged in their first high-level contact since the May conflict through a brief interaction between Pakistan's National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq and India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. This meeting happened during the funeral of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in Dhaka.

In an unexpected move, a brief yet potentially pivotal interaction took place on Wednesday between Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Speaker of Pakistan's National Assembly, and India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. This marked the first high-level diplomatic contact between the two nations since their conflict in May, sparking cautious optimism for future dialogue.

The encounter occurred in Dhaka during the funeral of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. Amidst the somber atmosphere, the two leaders exchanged pleasantries on the sidelines, a moment captured by Bangladesh's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus's office, which shared a photograph on the social platform 'X'.

This engagement underscores Pakistan's ongoing commitment to dialogue and peace, reiterating its proposals for cooperative measures, including peace talks and joint investigations into the Pahalgam attack that claimed 26 lives. The world watches closely as this brief handshake could pave the way for renewed discussions between the neighboring countries.

(With inputs from agencies.)