Attari (Amritsar): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's childhood friend Raja Mohammed Ali, who was in India for the past few days, today crossed over to Pakistan through Indo-Pak Attari check post here.

Raja came to India for the first time after independence on May 23 to meet Singh.

Before leaving for Pakistan, Ali was accorded a farewell by DAV Public School of Amritsar.

Talking to reporters about his meeting with Singh, Raja said, "on reaching at Prime Minister s house, my eyes searched for Mohna. All of sudden Mohna entered and spontaneously hugged me. I never expected this kind of affection, warmth and welcome from one who has become the Prime Minister of one of the biggest countries of the world".

Raja said that when he presented the pair of Chakwali Tilley Wali Juttis (traditional Punjabi hand made foot wear) to Singh, he took off his shoes and wore them there forthwith.

"It made my heart flutter and I felt speechless. I also presented the village soil and the soil from our old school besides the water sent with wishes from the entire village (from Pakistan) and invited my friend to visit his ancestral village that was waiting eagerly for the son of their soil," he said.

"During meeting with Mohna, I wrapped the 110-year-old "lachcha" (shawl) a family heirloom, that had been woven in silk by my grandparents, around Singh. We talked about old times and he asked me several landmarks and people of the village," he said.

Source : PTI