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Pakistan Seeks Talks After Dhaka Handshake, India Stands Firm on Terrorism

Pakistan has attempted to amplify a brief courtesy handshake between its National Assembly Speaker and India's External Affairs Minister in Dhaka as an opening for dialogue. The gesture occurred against a backdrop of severely strained relations following the Pahalgam terror attack, which India attributes to Pakistan-backed networks. In response to the attack, India scaled down diplomatic engagement, suspended parts of the Indus Waters Treaty, and launched precision strikes against terror camps in Operation Sindoor. New Delhi maintains that any meaningful engagement requires demonstrable and verifiable action against terrorism from Pakistan.

Key Points: Pakistan Amplifies Dhaka Handshake, Pitches Talks Amid India-Pakistan Tensions

  • Pakistan seeks dialogue after Dhaka handshake
  • India links talks to terrorism-free environment
  • Tensions high since Pahalgam terror attack
  • India launched Operation Sindoor targeting terror camps
2 min read

Desperate Pakistan attempts to amplify EAM's Dhaka handshake, pitches for talks to prevent any 'escalation'

Pakistan calls for dialogue after a brief handshake in Dhaka, but India maintains talks are impossible without verifiable action against terrorism.

"dialogue cannot coexist with terrorism - India's stated position"

Islamabad, January 1

The desperation in the Pakistan's top leadership once again came out on Wednesday after Pakistan attempted to amplify what was a courtesy handshake between EAM S Jaishankar and the Speaker of Pakistan's National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq in Dhaka.

The exchange took place on the sidelines of the funeral of former Bangladesh prime minister Khaleda Zia, which Sadiq and Jaishankar attended. It was among the few visible contacts at the senior level since relations deteriorated earlier this year following the Pahalgam attack, where 26 tourists were killed which India has said was the work of Pakistan-backed terror networks.

According to a press release issued by Pakistan's National Assembly Secretariat, Pakistan has claimed that the handshake occurred when External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar approached Ayaz Sadiq during the event, reported Dawn.

The press release from the NA Secretariat stated that since the Pahalgam attack, Pakistan has "consistently emphasised dialogue, restraint and cooperative measures, including proposals for peace talks and joint investigations...to prevent unprovoked aggression and escalation."

India-Pakistan relations came under severe strain earlier this year following the terror attack in Pahalgam, after which India undertook calibrated diplomatic and strategic measures to safeguard national security.

In response to the attack, India scaled down diplomatic engagement and initiated policy steps reflecting its long-standing position that dialogue cannot coexist with terrorism. Among these measures was the suspension of participation in the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), a landmark 1960 agreement brokered by the World Bank, highlighting the seriousness with which India viewed the security situation.

India also restricted cross-border transit and other bilateral engagements, reiterating that any engagement requires demonstrable action against terrorism and accountability for attacks targeting civilians.

Against this backdrop, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025, targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir in response to the attack.

Indian Armed Forces carried out precision strikes against terror camps operated by Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK). India subsequently repelled Pakistani escalation and targeted its airbases.

India has consistently emphasised that any engagement with Pakistan must be based on mutual respect, verifiable security assurances and a terrorism-free environment, while firmly safeguarding its national interests.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
It's sad that even a somber occasion is used for propaganda. India has shown remarkable restraint and precision in its response to terrorism. Operation Sindoor sent the right message. We need peace, but not at the cost of our security.
R
Rohit P
Good on EAM for maintaining decorum. But let's be real, until there's concrete, verifiable action against terror groups like JeM and LeT from their soil, any "talk about talks" is just noise. Our government's calibrated approach is correct.
A
Aman W
Respectfully, while I support a strong stance, we must also keep a channel open, however small. Complete isolation isn't always the answer in the long run. A handshake can be a tiny step, but the onus is entirely on Pakistan to create a conducive environment.
S
Sarah B
Reading this from an international perspective, India's position seems very firm and principle-based. Suspending the Indus Waters Treaty is a serious signal. Pakistan's narrative-building over a handshake does appear quite weak in comparison.
K
Karthik V
Bachcha nahi banayege hum. They sponsor terror, we hit back with Operation Sindoor. Now they want to talk? Pehle apna ghar sambhalo. The families of the Pahalgam victims deserve justice, not empty handshake headlines.

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