New Delhi, Aug 17 (UNI) Pakistan government has decided to nominate Information and Law
Minister Barrister Ali Zafar to participate in the funeral of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Dr Mohammad Faisal, spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Pakistan, said in a tweet:
‏"Information and Law Minister Barrister Ali Zafar will lead Pakistan delegation to participate in the funeral of late Atal Bihari Vajpayee".
Nepal government has deputed its Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali to attend the last rites ceremony of the former Prime Minister Vajpayee.
Late Vajpayee was also the foreign minister of the first non-Congress government headed by Morarji Desai in 1970s.
Vajpayee is admired in Pakistan for his new approach diplomacy vis-a-vis his historic bus ride to Lahore and also hosting the Summit meeting with President Pervez Musharraf in Agra.
Meanwhile, Maithripala Sirisena, Sri Lankan President tweeted saying: "We have lost a great humanist and a true friend of Sri Lanka. Former Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee was a visionary leader and an ardent defender of democracy".
Russian President Vladimir Putin in a statement said: "Atal Bihari Vajpayee rightly commanded great respect around the world. He will be remembered as a politician who made a major personal contribution to the friendly relations and privileged strategic partnership between our countries (India and Russia).”
UNI DEVN RSA 1130/1139