Zardari offers prayers at Ajmer Sharif, donated Rs. 5 crores for shrine

Ajmer, Apr 8 (ANI): The visiting Pakistani President, Asif Ali Zardari, offered a grant of Rs. five crores on behalf of his government at the shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Dargah in Ajmer on Sunday.

Zardari offered his prayers at the Sufi shrine here along with his 23-year-old son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari amidst tight security. Both Zardari and his son Bilawal Bhutto offered 'chadars' at the dargah.

Zardari, who had last visited Ajmer in 2005 along with his wife Benazir Bhutto, also wrote a message in the holy book.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, who accompanied Zardari to the dargah here, offered a 'chadar' on behalf of Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.

Zardari earlier 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.

Stringent security measures have been put in place for Zardari's visit here.

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)