Raveendran—AFP
India’s prime minister took to Twitter to thank his Pakistani counterpart for the gift for his mother.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday thanked his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif for gifting his mother a “wonderful” white sari in more warm words between the South Asian leaders.
After sweeping to a landslide election victory last month, Hindu nationalist Modi invited Sharif to his inauguration in a surprise move seen as a significant olive branch to India’s neighbor.
“Nawaz Sharif … has sent a wonderful white sari for my mother,” Modi tweeted from his personal account. “I am really grateful to him & will send it to my mother very soon,” he added.
Modi, who gave Sharif a shawl for his mother at their meeting in New Delhi, called for Pakistan to crack down on terror groups while signaling his openness to peace talks.
Bilateral ties broke down after attacks by gunmen from Pakistan on India’s commercial hub Mumbai in 2008, in which 166 people were killed.
Modi, expected to be a hawk in office, has surprised some commentators by reaching out to Pakistan and regional rival China.