India to send formal invite to Pervez

The Pak Prez may come for a day to witness the next Test match in Kolkata, reports Nilova Roy Chaudhury.

The Government is sending out a formal invitation to Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to visit India to watch one of the matches of the ongoing India-Pakistan cricket series. The Pakistani president is likely to come for a day to witness the next Test match at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

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The invitation was finalised on Wednesday, prior to External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh's departure for South Africa, where he is due to take part in the trilateral ministerial meet of the IBSA (India, Brazil, South Africa) forum.

The choice of the venue he should visit (Kolkata) was suggested to Musharraf when Left party leaders Harkishen Singh Surjeet and AB Bardhan recently visited Pakistan, sources indicated.

In a recent interview in Islamabad, Musharraf had said he would like to visit India to see one of the India-Pakistan cricket matches, but he could not do so without an invitation. The Indian Government decided to extend the invitation after internal consultations.