![\"\"](\"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/assests\/2025\/12\/masood-Khan.jpeg\")
Muzaffarabad: Sardar Masood Khan, former Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States, has said that the unexpected yet deliberate handshake and exchange of smiles between Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Speaker of Pakistan\u2019s National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq marks a significant diplomatic moment that could signal a potential reset in Pakistan\u2013India relations.<\/p>\n
According to Kashmir Media Service, Sardar Masood Khan, while analysing recent developments in a televised discussion, emphasised that such gestures at the highest political levels are rarely coincidental, particularly between two nuclear-armed neighbours with a history of conflict and mistrust.<\/p>\n
He said the encounter reflects either carefully prepared diplomatic signalling or the culmination of back-channel efforts encouraging engagement between the two countries. \u201cFor a sitting foreign minister who previously refused even a handshake to step forward, initiate contact, and exchange pleasantries with Pakistan\u2019s Speaker is not routine protocol \u2014 it is politically meaningful,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n
He praised Speaker Ayaz Sadiq as a consensus-builder and dignified statesman, observing that his personal reputation for courtesy and bridge-building may have encouraged Jaishankar to initiate the gesture. \u201cAyaz Sadiq has always sought reconciliation and moderation in politics. India likely chose a personality who embodies political balance and respect,\u201d Ambassador Khan remarked.<\/p>\n
Commenting on regional dynamics, Masood Khan observed that India today finds itself increasingly isolated in its neighbourhood. He said relations with Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and the Maldives have all experienced significant strain, while domestic polarisation and hard-line narratives have reduced space for diplomacy. He said that in such an environment, New Delhi may be reassessing the costs of hostility with Pakistan and the benefits of restoring at least a workable relationship.<\/p>\n
Masood Khan underlined that India cannot economically or strategically progress in isolation from its neighbours, just as no country has developed while remaining locked in perpetual confrontation with its immediate region. \u201cPakistan and India must live side by side for centuries,\u201d he said. \u201cFinding pathways to dialogue and dispute resolution is not a choice \u2014 it is a necessity.\u201d<\/p>\n
He recalled that similar overt gestures had been unthinkable in the recent past, noting that in 2023 India\u2019s foreign minister had publicly declined a handshake with his Pakistani counterpart, while anti-Pakistan rhetoric in Indian politics and media reached unprecedented levels. The silence of Indian media following the latest handshake, he said, reflected both suppression and difficulty in reconciling this development with entrenched hostility narratives.<\/p>\n
Masood Khan said that external actors have consistently encouraged Pakistan\u2013India engagement. He noted that the United States, China, and Russia all quietly supported conflict de-escalation during the May war and subsequently encouraged both sides to return to dialogue. He recalled that President Trump, senior US lawmakers, and regional leaders had publicly called for talks, particularly highlighting the Kashmir dispute as central to long-term stability in South Asia.<\/p>\n
He added that back-channel diplomacy between Islamabad and New Delhi \u2014 through track-two contacts and security interlocutors \u2014 has remained active despite periods of visible tension. \u201cMultiple overtures have been made from Pakistan\u2019s side to end cycles of hot and cold conflict,\u201d he said. \u201cThis handshake may be part of that continuing process rather than an isolated photo moment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Regarding China\u2019s role, Masood Khan said Beijing has repeatedly conveyed to both countries that stability in South Asia is in their shared interest. He also referred to renewed diplomatic engagement between India and China at senior levels, noting that both now recognise the costs of prolonged confrontation and external interference in Asian affairs.<\/p>\n
He underscored that the current ceasefire along the Line of Control has largely held, a development he attributed in part to American diplomatic guarantees and mutual recognition of escalation risks. He added that Pakistan\u2019s emerging network of strategic and defence partnerships, including with Gulf states, has also served as a significant deterrent against any misadventure by India.<\/p>\n
He cautioned, however, against assuming that one courteous exchange would automatically transform long-pending disputes. India\u2019s rigid doctrinal positions, domestic political environment, and past unilateral actions \u2014 particularly regarding Kashmir \u2014 remain formidable obstacles to comprehensive peace. \u201cOur issues are complex and deep-rooted. Dialogue is welcome and overdue, but the real test is whether India is prepared for meaningful negotiations grounded in sovereignty, legality, and mutual respect,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Reflecting on Pakistan\u2019s global standing, Masood Khan said that in 2025 Pakistan has gained renewed diplomatic recognition and relevance, expanding relations not only with the United States but also across Western Asia, the Gulf, Turkey, and beyond. He said this broader profile strengthens Pakistan\u2019s position as a serious regional actor and makes dialogue with Islamabad both attractive and necessary for India.<\/p>\n
Concluding his remarks, he said the handshake between Jaishankar and Ayaz Sadiq is symbolically powerful and politically consequential. While it remains to be seen whether it marks the beginning of sustained engagement, it has already challenged entrenched hostilities, demonstrated diplomatic courage, and created space for potential diplomacy. \u201cThis could be the beginning of a new chapter \u2014 or merely an important gesture,\u201d he said, adding, \u201cWhat follows in the coming days and weeks will determine whether this moment becomes a turning point or a missed opportunity in Pakistan\u2013India relations.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Muzaffarabad: Sardar Masood Khan, former Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States, has said that the unexpected yet deliberate handshake and exchange of smiles between Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Speaker of Pakistan\u2019s National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq marks a significant diplomatic moment that could signal a potential reset in Pakistan\u2013India relations. According …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":191458,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-191615","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ajk"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/assests\/2025\/12\/masood-Khan.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/191615","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=191615"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/191615\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":191619,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/191615\/revisions\/191619"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/191458"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=191615"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=191615"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kmsnews.org\/kms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=191615"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}