India on Wednesday said Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf is welcome to visit India to watch cricket in the ongoing India-Pakistan series.
"Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will welcome a visit by the President of Pakistan to witness one of the India-Pakistan cricket matches," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said.
"The governments of India and Pakistan are in touch with one another in this context," he added.
Media Advisor to the Prime Minister Sanjaya Baru said it will be a friendly visit. "Every visit does not have to become a state visit," he said.
Speaking to a Pakistani newspaper recently, Musharraf had expressed his desire to travel to India to watch cricket. He had, however, said he would wait for an invite from India.
Baru said India would be happy to host the Pakistan president.
He said the external affairs ministry has been asked to get in touch with Islamabad regarding Musharraf's visit to enable the government to make necessary arrangements, including those concerning security.
"All our neighbours should feel free to come to India any time they want," he said.
Meanwhile, Board for Control of Cricket in India president Ranbir Singh Mahendra has clarified that the board has not made any decision on inviting Musharraf.
"I have seen some news reports, attributed to me, saying the BCCI has decided to extend invitation to Musharraf. I would like to clarify that any invitation to another head of state has to be routed through the Government of India and it is for the Indian government, and not the BCCI, to extend invitation to President Musharraf. We would only facilitate his stay in India," Mahendra told rediff.com on phone from Chandigarh.
With inputs from Onkar Singh
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