Guwahati: Abdul Basit, Pakistan High Commissioner to India praised neighbor for the hosting of 12th South Asian games. The games started in Guwahati and Shillong on Friday.

"Today met Pakistan High Commissioner to India, Abdul Basit, who appreciated law and order situation of Assam," Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi tweeted.

https://twitter.com/tarun_gogoi/status/696015697009217537

"He also appreciated the arrangement and facilities put in place for the South Asian Games 2016," Gogoi added, along with a picture of Basit with the traditional Assamese honour of a gamocha on him.

A 436-member Pakistani contingent is taking part in the Games being hosted in the capitals of Assam and Meghalaya in India's northeast.

Inaugurating the event on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the Games would become a springboard for bringing peace and prosperity in the South Asian region "through business, interaction and sporting activities".

The games will go on until 16th February. More than 2500 players will be taking part in the games competing in 23 different sports events. With Olympic scheduled this year later in Rio, these games can be used by the players to warm up and create a momentum for the biggest sporting event in the world.

Because of lot of political organisation, there were security concerns especially for players from Pakistan.