Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali on May 3 extended a formal invitation to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee to visit Pakistan, a day after the two countries agreed to restore full diplomatic ties.

A letter of invitation to Vajpayee from Jamali has been handed over to the Acting Indian High Commissioner T C A Raghvan on May 3 morning.

Raghvan said he was called to the Pakistan Foreign Office and handed over Jamali's invitation letter for Vajpayee.

The letter of invitation followed shortly after Jamali had a telephonic conversation with US Secretary of State Colin Powell, media reported.

Jamali reportedly informed Powell that he is extending a formal invitation to Vajpayee.

Powell on May 2 welcomed as "very, very promising" Vajpayee's initiative to send a High Commissioner to Pakistan and restore air-links on reciprocal basis. Pakistan reciprocating the gesture also announced that it would sending its High Commissioner back to New Delhi.

Raghvan said besides extending the invitation, no formal discussions about the proposed confidence building measures took place.

This was the first official meeting between Raghavan with the Foreign Office after telephone talks between Jamali and Vajpayee on April 28.

PTI