NEW DELHI, March 21: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday hosted a lunch for President Pervez Musharraf?s mother at his official residence in New Delhi, an official said. ?It is a private lunch,? a spokesman for Mr Singh said without giving any details. Musharraf?s octogenarian mother Zarin, son Bilal and elder brother Javed arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday and have been visiting sites connected with their past when they lived in India, including their ancestral home in old Delhi.

The weeklong visit by the Musharrafs reflects improving ties between the two countries. The Musharraf family is originally from India and, like millions of other Indian Muslims; they migrated to Pakistan in 1947.

Mr Singh, on the other hand was born in Gah, a village in Pakistan?s Punjab, and came to India during the partition. Meanwhile, the Times of India reported that President Musharraf?s son Bilal has invited the son of Sonia Gandhi, leader of India?s ruling Congress party, to visit Pakistan after they met at the weekend and ?got along fabulously?.

The meeting between Bilal Musharraf and Rahul Gandhi at Sonia Gandhi?s house in New Delhi was arranged by Foreign Minister Natwar Singh and lasted about 45 minutes.

An unidentified source told the paper: ?Unencumbered by the baggage of history and keen to know about the changing situation in each other?s country, the two young men got along fabulously.?

The invitation was issued during the meeting, the report said.

Pakistan High Commission (embassy) officials were not immediately available for comment. Reports said Sonia Gandhi has also been invited to visit Pakistan, while India?s opposition leader Lal Krishna Advani, a Hindu nationalist, is also expected to travel to Pakistan soon. ?AFP