Amid protests, Pakistan PM Raja Parvez Ashraf visits Ajmer Dargah

Pakistan prime minister, Raja Parvez Ashraf, on Saturday offered prayers at the historic dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti during a private visit that was marked by protests. The brief trip of 62-year-old Ashraf to the 13thcentury shrine hit a sour note following a boycott by the dargah’s spiritual head to protest 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”— a ceremonial cloth inscribed with religious verses — and floral tributes, Ashraf prayed for peace in the world and prosperity in Pakistan. “Me and my family members are fortunate to get the opportunity to visit the dargah. I thank you Garib nawaz. I wish for peace in the world and for peace and prosperity in Pakistan,” Ashraf wrote in Urdu in the visitors book.

Ashraf, on a short visit to India, along with his wife Nusrat and more than 20 others, including his relatives, offered prayers at the Dargah and stayed inside the historic shrine for about 30 minutes. He was assisted by the khadims in his prayers.

Pakistan prime minister, Raja Parvez Ashraf, on Saturday offered prayers at the historic dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti during a private visit that was marked by protests. The brief trip of 62-year-old Ashraf to the 13thcentury shrine hit a sour note following a boycott by the dargah’s spiritual head to protest 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”— a ceremonial cloth inscribed with religious verses — and floral tributes, Ashraf prayed for peace in the world and prosperity in Pakistan. “Me and my family members are fortunate to get the opportunity to visit the dargah. I thank you Garib nawaz. I wish for peace in the world and for peace and prosperity in Pakistan,” Ashraf wrote in Urdu in the visitors book.

Ashraf, on a short visit to India, along with his wife Nusrat and more than 20 others, including his relatives, offered prayers at the Dargah and stayed inside the historic shrine for about 30 minutes. He was assisted by the khadims in his prayers.