Krishna meets top leaders in Pakistan

External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Friday held talks with leaders from various political parties in Pakistan, including Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz's Shahbaz Sharif to whom he presented a 'chaddar' to be placed on the revered shrine of Data Darbar which was attacked by terrorists recently.

A delegation of Muttahida Qaumi Movement leaders led by Overseas Pakistan Affairs Minister Farooq Sattar met Krishna on Friday morning as the external affairs minister wrapped up his three-day visit to Pakistan.

"We are happy about the resumption of dialogue between the two countries which has come at a very opportune time," Sattar said.

Krishna, the first external affairs minister to visit Pakistan since the November 2008 attacks that left 166 dead, also met PML-N leader and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and presented him a 'chaddar' to be placed on the shrine of Data Darbar, which was attacked by the terrorists recently.

"It was a gesture of goodwill," an MEA spokesman said.

The Data Darbar Sahib shrine of Hazrat Ali Hajweri, considered the patron saint of Lahore, was targeted by two suicide bombers on July 1. The attack killed 45 people and wounded over 200 others. Krishna also met Awami National Party leader Haji Mohammad Adeel.

On Friday, he met President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yosuf Raza Gilani.

The minister said that he had been assured that Islamabad would pursue leads from Pakistani-American David Headley to "bring all the perpetrators of that horrific crime to justice."