The Pakistani team with the acting principal of Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, K.S. Dhami (in black suit), in Darjeeling on Tuesday. Picture by Suman Tamang

Darjeeling, Nov. 8: They drool over Tendulkar?s cover drive and are in awe of the Taj Mahal. They believe that India and Pakistan were, after all, ?one country? and do not subscribe to political bantering. They represent the emerging face of Pakistan, a country that wants to live in peace and harmony.

They are also part of the six-member team which is in Darjeeling to attend an adventure camp at Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI). While in India, the six young men hope to ?explore? new avenues to establish lasting friendships.

Umar, Ahad and Shahrukh are fellow of science students of Islamabad College for Boys (ICB), while Wasim and Ismail come from Lahore. Jawad Hussian, the team leader, is an Urdu lecturer at the ICB and a poet. The motley group still cannot understand why ?simmering tension? always exists between the two neighbouring countries.

?From the moment we landed in Delhi, the people have been so friendly. We believe we need such exposure to strengthen the bond between India and Pakistan?, said Umar, who is also a member of a rock band, Silver Smoke.

The similarities between India and Pakistan have surprised the team. ?Delhi is so similar to Lahore and Darjeeling reminds us of Murree, which is about 80 km from Islamabad (in Punjab Province)?, said Jawad. The team had heard of Darjeeling tea, but did not know that the place is part of the state from which Sourav Ganguly hails.

?We must admit that, at the moment, the Indian team is slightly better then ours,? said one of them, shattering the myth that our neighbours consider a cricket match between India and Pakistan to be a virtual war. If Tendulkar was the unanimous choice as their favourite cricketer, Dravid came a close second.

?I hear that even Bhaichung Bhutia is from this place. I am a huge football fan and it would be great to visit his house?, said Ahad.

A 10-minute interaction with the team showed that the youths from Pakistan are the messengers of peace. ?We want to visit the Taj Mahal, and since this is not in the itinerary, we would appeal to the Indian authorities and the Pakistani embassy to allow us to visit the site. Our trip will be incomplete without it,? the team said in one voice.

Most of the team members want to pursue serious mountaineering and are members of Adventure Club in Islamabad. The visit is part of an exchange programme sponsored by the Saarc secretariat and the six are undergoing the course with two other Bangladeshi and Bhutanese students apart from seven Indians.

?They will be here till November 18 and, apart from trekking, they will also be allowed to participate in various adventure sports like water rafting, rock craft training, sport climbing and a trek in the Sandhakphu area,? acting principal of HMI K.S. Dhami told The Telegraph.

On the very first day of their camp, the team is already finding the experience ?awesome?.