Modi calls Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif on Eid, wishes him well post-surgery

Reuters: Prime Minister Narendra Modi telephoned his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday, the Muslim holiday of Eid, to wish him a speedy recovery from surgery, a sign the two men remain in touch, despite fraught diplomatic relations.

Sharif, 66, had successful open heart surgery in a London hospital in May, his second cardiac procedure in five years.

“Indian Prime Minister Modi called Prime Minister Sharif on the occasion of Eid,” Sharif’s office said in a statement. “He also wished him well for his health post-surgery.”

Wednesday is a national holiday in mainly Muslim Pakistan, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims fast from dawn till dusk.

Before the surgery in May, Sharif had also telephoned Modi to thank him for his wishes for a quick recovery.

Sharif made a bid to improve ties with old rival India a key plank of his 2013 election campaign, though progress has been slow and relations remain frayed over Islamist militant attacks and long-standing distrust.