Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif visits Jama Masjid, feels at home

NEW DELHI: Taking a break from his official meetings in New Delhi, visiting Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif toured the old city on Tuesday morning, with a stop at the 17th century Jama Masjid where he said he had come to India to build better ties.

Sharif, who attended Prime Minister Narendra Modi's inauguration a day earlier, spent half an hour at the sprawling sandstone mosque in the heart of Old Delhi.

Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the shahi imam of Jama Masjid, cited Sharif as saying he wanted to improve relations between India and Pakistan.

"Sharif told me that he had come to India with a message of peace and to build closer ties," Bukhari told a select group of reporters.

Sharif was accompanied by Sartaj Aziz, adviser on national security and foreign affairs, and foreign secretary Aizaz Chaudhry.

He felt quite at home, the shahi imam said. "The prime minister said he felt as if he was in Pakistan. He also said that there appeared to be no difference between this Jama Masjid and the Jama Masjid (he goes to) in Pakistan," Bukhari said.

Bukhari said he urged Sharif to relax visa norms between India and Pakistan. "Easier visas will enable Indians and Pakistanis to make visits without hassles,” he said. “I told the prime minister that once people come together, governments will come together too."