Zardari formally invites Manmohan Singh to visit Pakistan

, Jul 27: President

on Friday formally invited Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to visit his country, saying the trip would provide an opportunity to take stock of bilateral relations. Zardari suggested that if Singh's visit coincided with celebrations to mark the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak in November, it would be well received by the Pakistani people and reinforce the desire of both countries to promote inter-religious harmony.

"It gives me great pleasure to extend Your Excellency a cordial invitation to visit Pakistan," Zardari said in a letter sent to the Indian Prime Minister through the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. "Our invitation for you to visit Pakistan is outstanding. Your visit will provide us an opportunity to take stock of our bilateral relations," he said. Zardari also promised to organise a trip for Singh to his ancestral hometown Gah in the Punjab province.

"We could use that occasion to arrange a visit to your ancestral hometown. If the visit were to coincide with the birthday celebrations of Baba Guru Nanak Sahib, that would not only be well received by the Pakistani nation but also reinforce our mutual desire to promote inter-faith and inter-religious harmony," Zardari said. The birth anniversary of Guru Nanak will be observed on Nov 28 this year.

PTI