It was an emotional reunion for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his childhood friend from Pakistan Raja Mohammed Ali as they met on Friday after nearly six decades. Raja Ali, a native of Premier's ancestral Gah village in Pakistan's Punjab province, was Singh's classmate and as well as a childhood friend.
Singh and Ali hugged each other warmly and chatted for over half-an-hour. They also exchanged gifts. While Premier gave Ali a turban, a set of Titan watches and a shawl. His friend had a photo of Gah village, a 100-year-old shawl for Singh and two embroidered Salwar Kameez suits for his wife Gursharan Kaur. Ali, 76, who is accompanied by his nephew Mehmud Ali, had come to New Delhi on his own and was staying in Karol Bagh. But Singh arranged a government guest house for them.