Singh meets childhood friend

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, reports Indian media. Ali, a native of Singh's ancestral Gah village in Pakistan's Punjab, was his classmate and as well as a childhood friend. Both Singh and Ali hugged each other warmly and chatted for over half an hour. They also exchanged gifts.  While Singh 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 suits for his wife. 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.

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