Former PoK PM calls on Vajpayee

Sardar Mohammad Abdul Qayyum Khan, former president and prime minister of Pakistan occupied Kashmir who is currently in New Delhi to take part in heart-to-heart deliberations hosted by Indian Council of World Affairs and National Panther's Party headed by Bhim Singh, called on former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The two leaders had forty-five minute discussions. Bhartiya Janata Party president Lal Kishenchand Advani, Barjesh Misra and former external affairs minister Jaswant Singh were also present at the meeting.

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"The meeting was held at the behest of Sardar Qayyum sahib who told Vajpayeeji that he is a big fan of the former prime minister," Jaswant Singh told newsmen after the meeting.

Sardar Qayyum said that he had made a courtesy call on Vajpayee because he had not met the former prime minister when he visited Lahore in 1999. He said that he was happy with the meeting and also with the outcome of the intra-Kashmir deliberations during his stay in New Delhi.

He is likely to call on Dr Manmohan Singh and the congress president Mrs Sonia Gandhi in the next few days and meet other prominent leaders from opposition as well.