Protests greet Pakistani PM at Ajmer - Times of India

AJMER: Pakistan prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf prayed at Sufi saint Moinuddin Chishti's mausoleum here along with his family on Saturday amid protests against his visit in the backdrop of heightened tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad over the killing of soldiers along the Line of Control in January. The shrine's caretakers' body -- Anjuman Committee - members welcomed Ashraf along with a Union minority affairs ministry deputy secretary. Dargah spiritual head Dewan Sayed Zainul Abedin Ali Khan, who normally ushers high profile devotees into the shrine, boycotted the visit to protest the killing of Indian soldiers. Ashraf was first taken to the Committee's office, where he was told about the 12th century Sufi saint's teachings and his journey to Ajmer. Inside the shrine, Ashraf, his wife, Nusrat, and children spent around 40 minutes and offered a 42-metre green and blue velvet chadar for the saint's grave. "My family and I are fortunate enough to be here at such a sacred place and found peace. I wish peace in the world and especially in Pakistan," he wrote in Urdu in the guest book. Ashraf, who also prayed for better relations with India, donated Rs 11,000 for the community kitchen and gave a closed envelope of nazarana (gift) to his khadim Sayed Bilal Chishty, who performed rituals for him. The Pakistani PM, whose tenure ends on March 16 and faces tough elections two months later, was sent off from the shrine's rear gate as the Dewan, who performs the traditional dastarbandi (turban tying) ritual for foreign leaders' safe return, was not there. The Committee members tied the turban. Earlier, the Pakistani PM and his delegation flew to Ajmer from Jaipur in three Indian Air Forces planes in the afternoon. He slipped into a white Pathani suit before landing in Ajmer, where divisional commissioner Kiran Soni Gupta welcomed him at the airstrip before his convoy of 11 vehicles proceeded to the shrine. Authorities had to change the convoy's route at the last moment, as dozens of lawyers arrived with black flags to protest the visit. "We had some security problems and therefore we had to change the route," said an official. Several lawyers were injured when police lathicharged them near Kaiserbagh Chowki, where they were protesting the visit. Over 30 people, who had taken to the streets with black flacks before Ashraf landed in Ajmer, were detai ned. Four people were arrested from the shrine's main gate as they tried to block Pakistani officials, who had reached the shrine to check the arrangements in the afternoon. One person was injured as BJP activists stoned the cops and clashed with them while Ashraf was inside the dargah. There was a curfew-like situation in the areas through which the convoy passed. Additional forces were deployed and barricades erected to prevent protests. Protests continued after Ashraf left the city as BJP MLA Vasudev Devnani led local activists in washing the streets near the shrine to protest his visit. Earlier, a group of people protested against Ashraf's visit outside the hotel in Jaipur, where he had lunch with external affairs minister Salman Khurshid. via Top Stories - Google News http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNGKZOx6yO5KtdXOQfLHNdAWv6Mv0g&url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Protests-greet-Pakistani-PM-at-Ajmer/articleshow/18885973.cms

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