Pak Prime Minister offers prayers at Ajmer Sharif

Ajmer: Pakistan Prime Minister Raja Parvez Ashraf on Saturday offered prayers at the historic dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti during his private visit here that was marked by protests.
The brief trip of 62-year-old Ashraf to the 13th century shrine hit a sour note following a boycott by the Dargah’s spiritual head in protest against the recent brutal killing and beheading of Indian soldiers by the Pakistani Army. Opposing the Pakistan premier’s visit that was marked by tight security, local lawyers, some BJP activists and representatives of markets associations staged protests and shouted anti-Pakistan slogans. After he offered ‘chadar’ and floral tributes, Ashraf prayed for peace in the world and prosperity in Pakistan.
Clad in cream coloured sherwani and a white and round cap, Ashraf carried a 42-metre multicoloured velvet Chadar—a ceremonial cloth inscribed with religious verses–and flowers on his head for offering it to the Sufi saint’s mausoleum where a ‘ziyarat’ was performed by his family khadim Syed Bilal Chisti. Turban tying (Dastarbandi) was another ceremony that took place in the shrine.
Tight security arrangements were in place in view of threats by advocates to protest the visit and over 1,000 police personnel guarded the entire stretch from the helipad to the Dargah. Police used mild force to disperse a group of advocates who had gathered at Favvara circle to show black flags to the Prime Minister in his way back to the Ghughra helipad. The VVIP cavalcade, however, passed through a different route and reached the helipad, police said.
The Premer then performed ‘Fateha´ (supplication) and went around the premises through mosques, graves of the Khwaja’s disciples and two big cauldrons used for cooking food during the annual Urs. Ashraf and his delegation landed at Ghughra helipad on the outskirts of the city by helicopters from Jaipur where External Affairs Salman Khurshid hosted a lunch for the guests.
Police and District administration officials received the dignitary before they moved to the Dargah sharif by road from the helipad–a distance of 13 km. Dargah committee CEO Mohammd Afzal received them inside the shrine after his entry from the Nizam gate. He was also honoured by the Dargah committee at Buland darwaja before his departure to the helipad.
The Dargah premises was evacuated after noon for the visit and only pass holders were allowed to stay inside the dargah during the visit of Ashraf and his family members.