A photo of ISIS President S. Jaishankar meeting with a Pakistani politician in Dhaka, Bangladesh, has sparked discussion on social media. Why did this meeting between politicians from both countries take place?

Picture of the meeting between Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and a Pakistani politician.

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia has been laid to rest. Her funeral took place in Dhaka. Meanwhile, India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar arrived to attend the funeral of Bangladesh's first female Prime Minister. 

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with Tarique Rahman, Khaleda Zia's son and acting president of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). He offered his condolences and handed him a letter from  Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

During this meeting, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar also met with a senior Pakistani politician present there. Pictures of this have been released on social media. This is the first meeting between senior Indian and Pakistani leaders since  Operation Sindoor .

Which Pakistani politician did External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar meet?

The Foreign Minister shook hands with Pakistani politician Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, who is the Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan. This was an unofficial meeting between the two leaders. No discussion of their mutual relations took place. These photographs have not been released by the foreign ministries of either country. 

Who is Sardar Ayaz Sadiq?

The Pakistani politician whom External Affairs Minister Jaishankar met is considered a close associate of Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif. Ayaz had also ridiculed then-Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood over the Balakot strike. He had then said that Mahmood had threatened India with an attack if the Indian pilot Abhinandan was not released. 

Pakistan's first female Prime Minister, Khaleda Zia, was laid to rest next to her late husband's grave

at Manik Mian Avenue in Dhaka. Leaders and representatives, including dignitaries from other countries, attended the funeral. She was laid to rest with full state honours at 3:30 pm next to the grave of her husband, the late President and freedom fighter Ziaur Rahman. She served as Pakistan's Prime Minister three times and was also the National President of the BNP. She died in Dhaka at the age of 80 after a prolonged illness.