“With all good wishes for the new year,” says the card sent by Singh to Zardari, which was received by the President's office a few days ago.

The card, with a dove printed on its front and signed by Singh and his wife Gursharan Kaur, could be described as a message for better relations between the two countries following the souring of ties in the wake of the Mumbai attacks, official sources in the Pakistan government said.

Officials of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad said a card was also sent by Singh to his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani.

However, it could not immediately be ascertained if the card sent to Gilani featured the same design.

Singh and Zardari last met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York in September last year, when they pledged to jointly combat terrorism.