TOKYO, June 17: A special envoy of President Pervez Musharraf on Monday asked top leaders of the G8 industrialized nations to help ease friction with its nuclear rival India, a Japanese official said.

Najmuddin Shaikh, former foreign secretary of Pakistan, held talks with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and argued the G8 leaders should make efforts to reduce tensions between the nuclear rivals in South Asia.

The G8 leaders “should discuss the importance of taking measures to ease tensions between India and Pakistan at a summit or other occasions,” Shaikh told Koizumi, according to the Japanese official.

The top leaders of the G8 nations, which comprise Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States will gather in Canada for a summit on June 26-27.

Koizumi told Shaikh that both India and Pakistan should exercise restraint.—AFP