Islamabad, May 31: Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has thanked his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh for sending him a gift of mangoes as a goodwill gesture, saying he and his family had relished the fruits.
The Prime Minister's House recently received a consignment of Alphonso mangoes sent by Singh through the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.
In a message thanking Singh, Gilani said: "I gratefully acknowledge receipt of very thoughtful gift of delicious mangoes. My family and I have thoroughly enjoyed and relished the same. Please, Excellency, accept the assurances of my highest considerations," he said.
The box of mangoes was sent with a personal message from Singh to reciprocate Gilani's gesture of personally writing to the Indian premier to thank him for the hospitality extended to the Pakistani delegation at the recent SAARC summit in Thimphu.
Gilani's letter had also hailed Singh's decision to hold official-level talks between the two countries.
This is not the first time India and Pakistan have resorted to what is being described as "mango diplomacy".
In the 1980s, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and then military ruler Zia-ul-Haq had exchanged gifts of mangoes and former President Parvez Musharraf too had sent mangoes to former premier Atal Behari Vajpayee
in 2001.
Sources told PTI that during their meeting on the sidelines of the SAARC summit in Bhutan last month, Singh had told Gilani about his liking for 'rewari' – a sweet made of 'gur' (jaggery) and 'til' (white sesame seeds) that is popular in parts of Pakistan's Punjab province, including Chakwal, from where Singh hails.

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