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Security beefed up in Delhi for Musharraf visit

     New Delhi: The security agencies today took control of all important places a day before the arrival of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf. The highly at risk VVIP is on three- day visit to watch the Indo-Pak one-day cricket match with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, here. A large number of police personnel, many in plain clothes, swarmed Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium where the match will be played on April 17. The security of Taj Hotel, where the Pakistan President will stay along with his delegation has also been tightened and the Hotel is out of bounds for media persons. To avoid any chance of sabotage the security agencies have started sanitising the cricket ground as well as the hotel to detect if any explosive that may have been installed at these places by anti-social elements. Musharraf will stay in a suite on the ninth floor of the hotel. 70 more rooms have been booked for his delegation at the same hotel. Snipers and commando units are placed on different position like rooftop of the hotel for tackling any unexpected situation. According to police source, road leading to the hotel may be sealed for security reasons. Inside the hotel plain-clothes security personnel are keeping tight security, but special care is taken to ensure that the arrangements are unobtrusive and other guests are not put to inconvenience.

Preparations at Ajmer Dargah to welcome Musharraf (Go To Top)

     Ajmer/New Delhi: Arrangements are in place at Ajmer Dargah to give a grand welcome to Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and his wife Saheba. They will arrive here tomorrow to pay obeisance at the tomb of Sufi Saint Khawja Moinudeen Chisti. Accompanied by a 45-member delegation, they are expected to land at the Ghoogra helipad at around 4 PM. They will drive straight to the shrine for their "ziyarat" (pilgrimage). They are scheduled to spend 30 minutes in the dargah during which they would offer a 42-metre long green velvet 'chadar' brought from Pakistan. President Musharraf and his wife will be welcomed at the shrine by the beating of nagadas (drums) and received by members of the Dargah Khadims Organistion Anjuman and Dargah committee.

     The Pakistan President, on a three-day visit, will hold extensive talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on all outstanding issues, including Kashmir, on Sunday. According to Gen Musharraf's engagement schedule released by the External Affairs Ministry today, the Pakistani leader's special aircraft will land at the Air Force Station at 1820 hrs tomorrow. He would offer prayers at the 'dargah' in Ajmer Sharif. External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh will call on Gen Musharraf, who will be accompanied by his wife Sehba, at 1930 hrs at the Taj Mansingh Hotel, where the visiting dignitary will stay. The Prime Minister will host a dinner in honour of the General and his delegation at the Hotel Ashok at 2030 hrs. On Sunday morning, Gen Musharraf will visit the Ferozeshah Kotla grounds at 0900 hrs to watch the last one-day cricket match between India and Pakistan along with the Prime Minister. The two leaders will be introduced to the members of both the cricket teams. His delegation-level talks with Dr Singh will begin at 1045 hrs at the Hyderabad House. Gen Musharraf will call on President A P J Abdul Kalam at the Rashtrapati Bhavan at 1300 hrs. This will be followed by his meeting with Leader of the opposition L K Advani at 1530 hrs at the Taj Mansingh Hotel. UPA Chairperson and Congress President Sonia Gandhi will call on Gen Musharraf at 1615 hrs.

Second Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus trip under cloud (Go To Top)

     Sringar/New Delhi: Authorities in New Delhi and Srinagar are reportedly having second thoughts about starting the second bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad on April 21 following information that terrorists have got hold of the names and addresses of the passengers who will be travelling on that bus. The threat has forced authorities to think about starting the bus from Uri instead of Srinagar. "The list has already been exchanged last time after the first bus trip on April 7. There was a flag meeting and we have exchanged the list for the second trip and the approved passenger list from across the border is yet to be received. "We are however, yet to submit our approved list of passengers," a television channel quoted John Shilshi, the Passport Officer in Srinagar, as saying. The threat is being taken seriously in the wake of the terrorists having already struck at the Srinagar Tourist Reception Centre on April 6, a day before the historic first bus service was launched by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the presence of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and ahost of other dignitaries.

Kashmir solution still some distance away: Brajesh Mishra (Go To Top)

    New Delhi: A solution to India and Pakistan's dispute over Kashmir is still some time away, feels former National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra. In an interview to the BBC's "Hard Talk" India programme, which is to be aired tonight, the first since he demitted office last May, Mishra said that it was ''too early'' to expect a resolution to a dispute that had dogged bilateral relations for more than five decades. "I think it is too early to talk about a settlement of the Kashmir dispute. The atmosphere today is not yet conducive for compromises on both sides," he said, adding that he peace process between India and Pakistan ''will encounter bumps on the road''. The former top bureaucrat also admitted that the Agra Summit of 2001 "failed very badly", adding that he was ''not involved'' in the decision to invite Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf. "The decision was taken at the political level. I was not consulted...but I would have had reservations about it," he said. General Musharraf, he further said, would be committing a folly by seeking quick solutions to Kashmir. "I am pretty sure that if he sits down with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh tomorrow, there is going to be no solution. It is not premature to explore options, but it is premature to think that you can come to a speedy solution, as President Musharraf has indicated more than once," Mishra said. He also made a case for creating an atmosphere conducive for compromise, and said that he did not see the present peace process coming up against a wall now or in the immediate future.

Jet Airways starts Mumbai-Singapore air service (Go To Top)

     Singapore: The country's largest private domestic carrier, Jet Airways, launched inaugural service to Singapore, spreading its wings to the long-haul international market, on Friday. Colourfully dressed dancers welcomed Jet Airways' inaugural flight to Singapore from Mumbai, as the carrier looked to expand its service across South East Asia, and into Europe and the United States. Jet Airways is the country's largest airliner by market share and chose Singapore as its first connection outside of South Asia. The company's Chief Operating Officer, Peter Luethi, told journalists at Singapore's Changi airport on Friday that Jet's international routes would add 10 to 15 percent to the carrier's revenue. On Thursday, Jet had said it would increase its domestic fares by 12 percent to offset the rising cost of jet fuel. Airline experts said India's airline market is potentially huge and largely untapped.

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