Zardari reaches Chisti's shrine amidst tight security

Ajmer, Apr 8 (ANI): Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari arrived in Ajmer amidst tight security today to offer prayers at Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti's dargah.

Zardari, his son Bilawal and the Pakistan delegation, reached Ajmer around 4:20 p.m. in three Indian Air Force helicopters to offer prayers at the famous Sufi shrine.

Zardari landed at Googhra helipad, which is 12 km away from Ajmer and traveled in a bulletproof car to the Sufi shrine. His cavalcade comprised of nearly 20 vehicles.

The district administration has asked residents, whose houses face the dargah to keep their windows shut during Zardari's visit and all the shops dealing with pilgrimage items situated in the lane leading to the shrine have been closed between 1.30 p.m. and 6 p.m.

Devotees have also been barred from visiting the shrine from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Around 3,000 policemen have been deployed around the shrine and 80 police personnel have been stationed inside the dargah.

Zardari, earlier in the day, had very fruitful and constructive talks with Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh during his stopover in Delhi. Both sides expressed satisfaction after the talks.

Zardari, 56, will be at the shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti for nearly an hour before flying back to Pakistan.

India and Pakistan, which have fought three wars since their independence from British rule in 1947, have been slowly trying to repair relations and agreed to resume formal peace talks broken off in the wake of the Mumbai attack in 2008. (ANI)