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India Quake To Improve Ties Between Pakistan And India?
ISLAMABAD & NEW DELHI, Feb 2 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - The Gujarat quake tragedy emerged Friday as the catalyst for the first direct contact between the leaders of India and Pakistan in well over a year.
Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee received a condolence telephone call from Pakistan's military ruler General Pervez Musharraf.
Musharraf called Vajpayee "today to convey his sympathy at the great loss of life caused by the earthquake in Gujarat," the Indian foreign ministry said in a statement.
"Prime minister thanked the chief executive of Pakistan for Pakistan's assistance. This gesture was greatly appreciated by the people of India," the statement said.
A statement from Pakistan's foreign ministry said, "Mr. Vajpayee expressed appreciation for the relief goods provided by the government of Pakistan."
Officials said the call lasted five minutes and the two leaders spoke in Urdu and Hindi, languages very similar to one another.
"The prime minister assured the chief executive of India's continuous desire to build a good neighborly relationship with Pakistan," the Indian statement added.
Musharraf expressed sympathy for the quake victims and Pakistan's readiness to provide "additional relief if required," it added. Pakistan has so far sent two planeloads of tents and blankets for the quake victims.
"The two leaders agreed to remain in touch with each other," the Pakistani statement said.
The call marked the first direct contact between the two rival leaders since Musharraf came to power in a coup in October 1999.
Earlier Friday, Vajpayee commenting on Pakistan's aid had said: "It is at times of distress that people come together and share grief."
CNN reports that before the phone call, Vajpayee commented, "Pakistan is helping us and that is a matter of happiness. Today, possibly I will speak to General Musharraf on the phone. Maybe this will open up a way, in pain and sorrow a way. Maybe again some exchanges, something may come out of it."
The Gujarat quake, measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale, ravaged a huge area of the prosperous western state and the death toll has been estimated at anywhere between 25,000 and 100,000.
India and Pakistan have fought three wars and a bloody border conflict since independence in 1947 and remain at loggerheads over rival claims to the Himalayan state of Kashmir.
Official dialogue between India and Pakistan had been frozen since Indian troops fought the bitter 10-week border conflict with Pakistan backed forces in the Kargil sector of disputed Kashmir in the summer of 1999.
Recognizing past conflicts and antagonisms between the countries, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar earlier said, "Pakistan and India should seize this opportunity to address the legacy problems, not only to address them but resolve them in the context of humanitarian relief."
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