Asif Ali Zardari agreed to pray for peace in Ajmer

NEW DELHI: The mood at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's lunch for Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari was reflected in a tweet by leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj.

Swaraj, who was among the select gathering at 7 Race Course Road, said Singh asked Zardari to pray for peace between the two countries at the Sufi shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer and his guest readily agreed to do so.

"Attended lunch hosted by the prime minister for president Zardari and his team. Pakistan's interior minister Mr Rehman Malik and Mr Bilawal Bhutto were also present," Swaraj tweeted soon after the lunch. "Towards the end of lunch, Prime Minister told president Zardari that since he was going to Ajmer sharief, he should pray before Khwaja sahib for peace in both our countries... president Zardari promised to do that," she said.

Zardari, who met the prime minister during his three-hour stopover in Delhi before flying to Ajmer to pay obeisance at the shrine, headed for Ajmer after the lunch and one-on-one talks.

Besides Swaraj, senior BJP leader LK Advani was also present at the lunch. Swaraj refrained from commenting on the talks. BJP had demanded that the prime minister ask for stern action against Lashkar-e-Taiba founder and 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks plotter Hafiz Saeed when he meets the Pakistani president.

The BJP, which said it welcomed Zardari's visit, had asked New Delhi to convey its concerns regarding terrorists being shielded in Pakistan and take up the issue of Sarabjit Singh, languishing in a Pakistani jail. Singh did tell Zardari that action needs to be taken against Saeed.