History was revisited on Monday as External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh went to the Governor House at the famed hill station Natyagalli near Islamabad, over five decades after India's first prime minister Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru's retreat there during a rare trip to Pakistan.

Singh's Pakistani counterpart Khurshid Kasuri hosted lunch at the resort, located about 40 kilometres from Islamabad, besides which the two leaders had one-on-one informal talks after extensive discussions to review the Composite Dialogue Process.

The external affairs minister's momentous visit to the House reflects the growing bonhomie between the two countries as he has become one of the few leaders to spend time there.

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Nehru had been hosted by the then military ruler Ayub Khan in the early 1960s during which Nehru is reported to have admired its backdrop, saying it was one of the most beautiful hill resorts he visited.

The Governor House is also famous as former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger took time out to relax in the serene surroundings to draft his China policy.

Significantly, India and Pakistan demonstrated the improvement of their relations by inking accords after a gap of six years, although the two countries have held numerous rounds of talks on a series of issues.

The accords signed were the pre-notification of ballistic missile tests and establishment of communication links, first after the famous Lahore [Images] Declaration inked by then prime ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Nawaz Sharif.

Diplomats of both countries described the rare signing ceremony at the Pakistan Foreign Office as the one that could open the path for more such events, including on contentious issues.