PM Narendra Modi, Nawaz Sharif meet in Astana, exchange greetings at cultural gala

Astana: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in Astana on Thursday night.

PTI quoted official sources as saying that PM Modi and Sharif exchanged greetings when they were in the leaders' lounge for the reception at the Astana Opera organised to welcome the leaders who are participating in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.

Since it was the first occasion when the two leaders came across each other after Sharif's heart surgery, PM Modi enquired about his health, the sources said.

He also enquired about Sharif's mother and family, they said.

Earlier, asked whether PM Modi and Sharif will have a bilateral meeting, External Affairs spokesperson Gopal Baglay had said, "Our position has not changed. There is no proposal from their side. There is no proposal either from our side."

Ties between India and Pakistan have nosedived over a range of issues including beheading of two soldiers by the Pakistan military along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir and the death sentence handed down to former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav by a military court in Pakistan on charges of spying.

The International Court of Justice has stayed Jadhav's execution.

The Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir has also been witnessing rising tensions.

Meanwhile, PM Modi, Sharif, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping were among the top leaders who attended the reception hosted by Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

A gala show, marked the beginning of the two-day-long SCO summit.

At the concert, Indian classical dance Kathak was the first to be featured after the host nation Kazakhstan's ensemble.

Eight dancers from Bengaluru-based NADAM put up 'Mahaganapathim' - an ode to the god of auspicious beginnings, Lord Ganesha.

India was the only observer country to perform in the concert which featured traditional and western classical music and dance performances from China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, apart from the hosts.

(With Agency inputs)