"You can change friends but not neighbours," Atal Bihari Vajpayee famously said this 15 years ago, and the goodwill he enjoyed among neighbouring countries was today visible when all SAARC nations including Pakistan were represented at his funeral.
Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk, Pakistan's Minister of Law Ali Zafar, Nepal's Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Abul Hassan Mahmud Ali and Acting Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka Lakshman Kiriella, were among the foreign dignitaries who attended Vajpayee's funeral here.
Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai also paid homage to Vajpayee before his mortal remains were consigned to flames at Smriti Sthal at central Delhi. Diplomats from a number of other countries also attended the funeral of the region's much-loved leader.
Vajpayee's foster daughter Namita Kaul Bhattacharya lit the pyre as cries of "Atal Bihari Amar Rahe" reverberated.
The former prime minister always strived for close relations with neighbouring countries, including Pakistan.
Vajpayee had famously said in Parliament in 2003, "You can change friends but not neighbours."
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