Islamabad: Pakistan tonight (May 19, 2004) hoped that India's Prime Minister-designate Manmohan Singh would pursue the peace process initiated by the Vajpayee Government and take it forward to normalise bilateral ties.

"We hope under his leadership the relations will further improve and the peace process will continue," Pakistan's Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said while reacting to the appointment of Singh as the Prime Minister.

"This is the desire of our people and we hope under Singh's leadership, the peace process continues," he said.