Pakistani PM wraps up India visit

Pakistani Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on Saturday wrapped up his day-long private tour of India, during which he had a luncheon meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid in the northern state of Rajasthan's capital Jaipur before visiting a world famous Muslim shrine in the nearby city of Ajmer. The Pakistani prime minister and his nearly 50-member delegation arrived in Jaipur by a special plane from Islamabad at around 12 p.m. and subsequently had lunch with Khurshid before flying by a helicopter to the historic shrine of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti. Though security was tight in Ajmer, several groups of people protested against the visit of the 62-year-old Pakistani prime minister. He also faced a symbolic boycott at the shrine. After offering tributes and praying, Ashraf wrote in the visitor's book: "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." Meanwhile, in Jaipur, the external affairs minister said that he had not discussed terrorism during the luncheon meeting. "This was a private visit. It was a pilgrimage (for Ashraf). This was not the occasion nor did I have the authority to discuss such issues. There was no official talk," he told the media. In fact, before leaving the Indian capital for Jaipur to receive the Pakistani leader, Khurshid said "It's in our culture to welcome our guests with open arms. Whoever speaks about it, won 't worry us." His remarks came in response to opposition parties' call to boycott the visiting Pakistani prime minister in protest against the beheading of two Indian soldiers allegedly by Pakistani troops at the international border in Indian-controlled Kashmir this January.