In an ice-breaking moment, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shook hands with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif, laughed and even slapped him laughingly on the arm while sharing a light moment at the concluding ceremony of the 18th Saarc Summit here Thursday.
In a photo-op that appeared to belie any misunderstanding or animosity between the two neighbours, Modi and Sharif kept their handshake for several seconds and chatted, smiling all the while.
Modi and Sharif had shaken hands and interacted briefly during the retreat at the Dhulikhel earlier in the day.
The two had studiously ignored each other during the summit Wednesday, the sixth anniversary of the 2008 Mumbai terror attack that India has blamed on Pakistani elements.