PM Manmohan Singh to host dinner for Gilani at Mohali stadium

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani will meet over dinner on the margins of the World Cup semi-final match between their two cricket teams in Mohali on Wednesday.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani will meet over dinner on the margins of the World Cup semi-final match between their two cricket teams in Mohali on Wednesday.

PMO sources said Singh will host a dinner meeting for the visiting dignitary at the stadium itself.

While officials here are refusing to tag the meeting as "formal", the two leaders are expected to discuss bilateral issues. Gilani will join Singh to watch the Indo-Pak cricket match.

The sources said Singh would reach Chandigarh just in time for the match after attending an SPG Raising Day function at his residence in the morning on that day.

There is also a meeting of Council of Trade and Industry scheduled for the morning that day and it is not clear whether he would go ahead with the meeting or reschedule it.

Sources said Gilani will not be coming to Delhi and is expected to reach Chandigarh on Wednesday morning.

Refusing to give further details, the sources said the programme is being finalised.

It will be "more of cricket and less of diplomacy", sources said when asked about the issues the two prime ministers will be discussing.

Indulging in cricket diplomacy, Singh had invited Gilani to watch the World Cup semis between India and Pakistan which was accepted by the Pakistani Prime Minister.

PTI

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