PM's friend carries back to Pak fond memories

Amritsar, June 16 (UNI) Raja Mohammed Ali carries back home to Pakistan fond memories of his meeting with his childhood friend and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, whom he met in Delhi recently.

A resident of Gah village in Chakwal district of Pakistan, Raja Mohammed Ali was given a warm send off at the DAV Public School here today.

School Principal, Mrs Neera Sharma presented a photograph of the PM to Mohammed Ali, showing the two childhood friends wearing matching 'tilley wali juttis'.

Despite the feeling of sadness, Mohammed Ali joined the 'bhangra' presented by the students of the school and enjoyed the Punjabi numbers dished out by the young boys and girls of the school.

Later while talking to the media, Mohammed Ali recalling his meeting with the Prime Minister said that when he met 'Mohna' at Delhi he did not know how to greet him. "Mohna entered the room at the PMs residence and spontaneously hugged me", he said while recalling the affection and warmth shown by one who had become the Prime Minister of one of the biggest countries of the world.

" When I presented the pair of Chakwali tilley wali juttis, the PM took off his shoes and wore them", he recalled.

Mohammed Ali during the meeting also presented the soil of the village and school, where 'Mohna' and he had studied. He even invited Dr Singh to visit his ancestral village as the people there were anxiously waiting to meet him.

"After presenting the 'juttis' I wrapped the 110-year old "lachcha" (shawl), a family heirloom that had been woven in silk by my grandparents, around the PM", he recalled. The Prime Minister inquired about the residents of the village and even reminded him of many interesting episodes from their childhood days.

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