PM gets 26/ 11 ammo for Zardari
Pak President lands in Delhi today; doesn’t expect Saeed to be focus
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari’s India visit on Sunday may be “private” but it was increasingly assuming “official” hues on Saturday for, under the broad term of “bilateral issues”, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to raise with Mr Zardari India’s concern about 26/ 11 terror attacks mastermind and Laskhar- e- Tayyaba founder Hafiz Saeed roaming freely in Pakistan despite the evidence New Delhi has provided of his involvement.
An indication of this came when, ahead of Mr Zardari’s visit, the Union home ministry handed over to the Prime Minister’s Office all the dossiers it has given to Pakistan post 26/ 11, including the one on Saeed. Earlier this week, the US government put out a bounty of $ 10 million on Saeed.
Amidst indications that Saeed will figure in the PM- President meeting, Mr Zardari himself chose to strike a different note on Saturday. He told reporters in Lahore that he did not expect Saeed to be the focus of his meeting with the Indian PM. “My stance on Saeed is not different from that of my government. My visit to India is of a religious nature and I do not think Manmohan Singh will make me sit ( and discuss only) this issue,” said Mr Zardari.
Pakistan interior minister Rehman Malik is also part of the the Pakistan President’s delegation.
The Zardari- Singh meeting is scheduled for half an hour, beginning 12.15 pm Sunday at the Prime Minister’s 7, Race Course Road residence.
Though this is not the time for the famous annual urs in Ajmer, the city of 13thcentury Sufi mystic Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti, is decked up to welcome Pakistan President Asif Zardari, who will visit the Ajmer Sharif dargah on Sunday. The hereditary khadim ( custodians) community of the dargah see his visit as a mark of strengthening ties between the two countries.
But there are others groups raising their voice for release of prisoners on both sides. Pakistan’s Hindu minority group also wants to draw Mr Zardari’s attention to the sorry state of the minorities.
The Pakistan President will visit the historic shrine on Sunday with a delegation and offer prayers at the shrine. He will also offer a chadar. Last time when he visited in 2005, he was accompanied by the late Benazir Bhutto.
The administration reviewed security arrangements and also under took rehearsals on Saturday. Mr Zardari will enter the dargah through Begmi Dalan and members of hereditary ( custodian) khadim community will accord him a welcome at the Buland Darwaza while Dargah Diwan will welcome him at Nizam Gate.
According to sources, the officials of Anjuman, the body representing khadims, will felicitate Mr Zardari by presenting a sipasnama, containing verses on the life of the teachings of the mystic saint.
As per tradition, the khadims will also perform “dastarbandi” by tying a turban on the head of the visiting dignitary as a mark of respect.
A tight security blanket has been thrown around the shrine and a large number of security personnel will be present when the Pakistan President visits the shrine.
A group of Pakistani officials also reached here ahead of Mr Zardari’s visit to review the arrangements. The two khadims — Sayeed Iqbal Kaptan and Natiq Chisti — have been assigned to help the Pakistan President perform ziyarat, or prayers.
Meanwhile, Sarabjit Singh’s sister Dalbir Kaur and his daughter Swapandeep have also been camping here since the last two days to seek a hearing with Mr Zardari. Sarabjit has been languishing in a Pakistani jail for the last two decades. “We are here to make a request for my brother’s release,” said Ms Dalbir Kaur. Human rights groups have been pressing for release of prisoners on both sides, including ailing Pakistani scientist Khaleel Chishty, who is in Ajmer Jail.