New Delhi, July 5
Pakistan Premier Nawaz Sharif, who is touring China, today sent his Special Envoy Shaharyar Khan to New Delhi to meet Indian leaders and convey Islamabad’s keenness to improve relations with India.

Khan, a former Foreign Secretary of Pakistan, called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here this afternoon and delivered to him a letter from his Premier.

In his letter, Sharif has conveyed his good wishes for Manmohan Singh and the people of India and expressed determination to move forward on improving ties with New Delhi. The Prime Minister warmly reciprocated the sentiments expressed by Sharif.

Present at the meeting were Pakistan High Commissioner to India Salman Bashir, National Security Adviser Shivshanker Menon, PM’s Special Envoy for Pakistan S K Lambah and Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai. Later, the Pakistani envoy also called on External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid.

The meeting came amid speculation that Manmohan Singh will hold his first bilateral meeting with Sharif on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York in September.

Khurshid had met Pakistan PM’s Special Adviser on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz in Brunei earlier this week to consider the possibility of putting the stalled dialogue process back on the track.

Ever since Sharif won the elections in Pakistan in May, both countries have given firm indications of their resolve to normalise ties. Even before Sharif was sworn in as PM, The Indian PM had sent Lambah to Lahore to meet the Pakistani leader and convey India’s commitment to take the dialogue process forward.