Thimphu: Ahead of their meeting on Thursday in Thimphu, the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan were asked to take a stroll together by the other leaders present at the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
Other member-countries of SAARC have expressed their unhappiness with Indo-Pak tension, alleging that it's holding back the association's goals.
So on Wednesday, Manmohan Singh and Yousuf Raza Gilani were asked to take a walk together.
This is how an official press release by SAARC describes that informal meeting.
Press Release
Thimphu: April 28, 2010
The Prime Minister of Bhutan had invited all the heads of SAARC delegations at lunch today and all sat around a table to be able to converse with each other. The leaders of delegation particularly the President of Maldives expressed desire for an early meeting between the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani and the Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh while in Thimphu.
The Indian Prime Minister mentioned that the Prime Minister of Pakistan is looked upon with respect as he has a number of spiritual followers in India. His forefathers, the Indian Prime Minister said, had laid the foundation of Golden Temple in Amritsar and the Sikhs population is aware of this fact.
Later, on the insistence of the leaders of the delegations, both the Prime Ministers of Pakistan and India walked together in the SAARC village and exchanged views. They strolled for sometime before returning to their respective villas in the SAARC Village.