Handshake or 'namaste'? Pakistani, Indian FMs' meeting sparks controversy
Pakistan
Pakistani, Indian foreign ministers greet each other with 'Namaste'
GOA (Web Desk) – Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari of Pakistan and his Indian counterpart, S. Jaishankar, did not shake hands at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) foreign ministers' meeting. Instead, Jaishankar folded his hands and greeted Mr Bhutto-Zardari with 'Namaste', to which the Pakistani foreign minister responded in the same way.
The incident, which took place at the SCO meeting in Goa, was noticed by media and reported widely. Mr Bhutto-Zardari held a press conference in Goa and addressed the issue, stating that he had no problem shaking hands with the Indian foreign minister on camera.
However, he added that the manner in which the greeting was given was a matter of happiness for him. He explained that they greet each other in the same way in Sindh and Multan.
This gesture by Mr Bhutto-Zardari also attracted criticism from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
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Furthermore, Mr Bhutto-Zardari said that if the Indian foreign minister has met everyone in the same way, then he has no right to complain.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch of Pakistan also commented on the matter, stating that shaking hands with Bilawal Bhutto was a normal formality.
