Fact Check: NA Speaker is a high-ranking official, Indian journalist’s claim debunked

Renowned Indian journalist Palki Sharma reported that Pakistan did not send its foreign minister to attend the funeral of former Bangladesh prime minister Khaleda Zia, and instead sent the speaker of parliament, claiming Pakistan made a political statement by sending a lower-ranked official.

The funeral of Zia was held in Dhaka on December 31, 2025, after the political leader passed away a day earlier. Pakistan sent National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on an official visit to attend the state funeral and also offer condolences to her family.

Indian media reported that Pakistan did not send its foreign minister as its representative and instead sent the speaker of parliament, calling him lower-ranked and a sign of distrust with Zia’s son and heir apparent Tarique Rehman or the Bangladesh National Parliament (BNP).

Indian journalist Palki Sharma made the remarks during her show Vantage on the digital media outlet, FirstPost, on Dec 31. The video can be seen on YouTube here.

A transcript of the remarks is as follows, “Pakistan was expected to send their foreign minister to Khalid Zia’s funeral. That’s Ishaq Dar. His supposed visit was reported in the Bangladeshi media, but as it turned out, Dar did not visit. Instead, Pakistan sent their parliament speaker. He too had a brief interaction with Minister Jaishankar. Both men were pictured exchanging a handshake. And I know it’s just courtesy, but it’s also very significant because this was the first India-Pakistan interaction since Operation Sindoor. It’s high on symbolism, but not much else.

“Let’s focus on Ishaq Dar’s absence instead. Was it a political statement? Is it a sign of distance between Pakistan and the BNP? Because India sent their foreign minister to Dhaka. So did Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka. The Maldives sent their education minister. 

Only one regional country sent a speaker instead of a minister, and that country is Pakistan. The same Pakistan that talks about creating South Asian blocs. So it’s hard to see this as a random decision. Either way, this is a crucial time for Bangladesh. Yes, the BNP will mourn Khaleda Zia but it must also begin campaigning in earnest.”

Fact Check

The claim that Pakistan sent a lower-ranked official as a representative to the state event is misleading and factually incorrect.

The Speaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly holds a high rank, typically placing fourth in the official Warrant of Precedence, after the President, Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Senate.

The speaker is also the second in line for Acting President. This places the speaker of parliament higher ranked than federal minister including the minister of foreign affairs, signifying their importance in formal state occasions.

It has also been reported that Pakistan was expected to send Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to attend the event. Pakistani media or the Foreign Office did not confirm Dar’s visit.

Any reports that sending the speaker of parliament shows a distrust with the BNP or Khaleda Zia’s family is completely speculative and opinionated.