Wrapping up the political part of his trip in New Delhi, Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari embarked on a private visit at the Dargah of Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer Sunday evening.
Dressed in black achkans befitting the occasion, Mr Zardari was accompanied by his son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari at the dargah. The dressing up of the Zardaris in black gave the atmosphere a private and religious look, a definite change from his formal morning meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the morning. Cordoned off for common people, the heavy security saw a deserted Dargah Bazaar as the convoy carrying the Pakistani delegation drove right up to the Nizam Gate of the shrine almost 30 minutes behind schedule.
A curfew-like atmosphere was witnessed in the city of Ajmer as all roads leading from the Ghooghra helipad to the shrine were cordoned off by the administration as the convoy drove a distance of about 12 km. Stepping up the security, leaving no space for any mistake, the President was driven to the shrine in a bulletproof black Mercedes Benz bearing the Indian emblem. At the dargah, a red-carpet welcome was accorded to the President in accordance with the visit of state heads to the shrine.
As soon as the President arrived at the dargah, a formal welcome by the Anjuman Dargah Committee and committee of khadims was accorded to him. It was a musical welcome for Mr Zardari as he was presented a sword amid beating of drums and shehnais.
The Pakistan president offered a red-coloured 42-metre chadar procured from Ajmer and another green-coloured chadar that he specially brought in from Pakistan.
Dargah Khadim Natik Chishti and Kaptan Chishti offer ziyarat (religious rites) for the President.
Speaking to this newspaper, Syed Iqbal Kaptan Chishti, the khadim at the dargah, stated that the President carried the chadar on his head as per the traditions. Mr Zardari stayed at the shrine for almost 20 minutes and is also understood to have asked the dargah committee members regarding the problems they were facing. He announced a donation of $1 million to the shrine.
“The President was in a sombre mood and offered a chadar at the shrine. His son, Bilawal, too offered a chadar,” he added.
Chishti stated that Zardari’s wife Benazir Bhutto had visited the dargah in 2003, and had prayed for Zardari’s release when he was imprisoned in Pakistan.