New Delhi: Hoping that India-Pakistan animosity of 56 years would become a "thing of the past", Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani today (March 7, 2004) said efforts to improve relations with the neighbour would continue although violent incidents still occur in Jammu and Kashmir.

The two countries had seen animosity since 1947 and fought three wars which later took the shape of cross-border terrorism, Advani told reporters who had converged at his residence on the occasion of Holi.

"We hope the animosity becomes a thing of the past," Advani said referring to improvement in ties after the joint statement by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf during the SAARC Summit in Islamabad in January.

He, however, pointed out that violence in Jammu and Kashmir still continued and that even Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was targeted recently.

"So we cannot give up caution," Advani said, but added that efforts to improve relations would continue.

Besides a host of politicians, people from various walks of life participated in the celebration at his residence.

Prominent personalities who attended the function included Ministers Sahib Singh Verma, B C Khanduri, Shahnawaz Hussain and Shatrughan Sinha, new entrant to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from Gandhi family Varun Gandhi besides film stars Manoj Kumar and Krishna of Mahabharatha fame Nitish Bharadwaj.

Kumar, who has a number of patriotic movies to his credit, endorsed the performance of the Vajpayee Government and the BJP's vision of a secular India.