As he relished the food served during the lunch hosted by Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf for visiting SAARC foreign ministers, External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh discovered that his host was a lover of classical music.
"The lunch was very good," remarked Singh at an informal interaction with journalists covering the SAARC ministerial meet in Islamabad, hours after foreign ministers of the seven-member grouping called on Musharraf.
Dodging questions about the discussions that took place at the luncheon, the minister, however, noted that he had detected a music lover in Musharraf.
"I found he is fond of music, classical music, as it was being played in the background," Singh said.
When specifically referred to Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Masood Khan's statement that Musharraf had raised the issue of peace and security being essential for economic cooperation in the region, Singh declined to go into details but merely said, "Peace and security is vital for the whole world and not only India and Pakistan."
Asked by a Pakistani journalist whether Pakistan was 'shining', the minister quipped: "That, you tell me."
He said he had a number of friends in Pakistan and was looking forward to meeting them during his stay here till Friday.
Noting that he could not visit Khan Abdul Wali Khan, son of Frontier Gandhi Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan, Singh said he, however, called him up and talked to his wife as Khan is hard of hearing.
He said Frontier Gandhi's grandson Afsandyar Khan would be travelling with him to New Delhi for attending a function in commemoration of his grandfather there.