National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said on Monday that the opposition had not yet made formal contact for initiating talks with the government.

He made the remarks while speaking to the media, according to a handout issued by the NA Secretariat. It quoted him as saying that the “opposition had not yet made any formal contact to initiate a dialogue”.

“My role in the talks is only that of a facilitator,” he said.

Sadiq further stated that the committee system in the lower house of Parliament was fully functional as per constitutional requirements, adding that he was “completely independent” in his position.

On the topic of the appointment of the NA opposition leader, Sadiq said that four letters had been sent to the opposition’s chief whip in this regard. He said that after the fourth letter, the opposition had submitted a certified copy of their decision.

“The constitutional process for the appointment of the next opposition leader will be initiated in the next parliamentary session,” he said.

He added that the process will move forward “after checking and verification of the signatures of the opposition members”.

Bangladesh visit

The speaker also recalled his recent visit to Bangladesh for the funeral of the former prime minister of the country, Khaleda Zia. Sadiq and India’s External Affairs Minister Subrah­manyam Jaishankar had shaken hands during the visit, marking the first high-level contact between Pakistani and Indian officials since the military conflict in May 2025.

“The Pakistani delegation received an unusually warm welcome by the people of Bangladesh,” Sadiq said.

He said that the Indian minister “came to greet him and shook his hand”.

Sadiq recalled that he also met with the country’s interim leader, Muhammad Yunus, terming the meeting “pleasant”.

He said the two “reached an agreement for the promotion of parliamentary and public relations” between the two countries during the meeting.

He further said that “he will always remember the love he received from the people of Bangladesh”.