ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari will embark a day-long trip to India on Sunday to visit Ajmer and to attend a luncheon being hosted in his honour by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
It will be the first ever visit of President Zardari to India as President of Pakistan, which will provide a chance to promote bilateral relations between the two countries.
According to a Foreign Office spokesman, the President will travel to the city of Ajmer to pay homage at the Dargah of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, a famous Sufi Muslim saint.
"President Asif Ali Zardari will leave for Ajmer Shareef on Sunday for 'Ziarat' and to offer prayers at the shrine of Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti and will return the same day," said the spokesman.
The spokesman said the President has also accepted a luncheon invitation of Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in New Delhi en route to Ajmer Shareef.
He said that the President's delegation to New Delhi would consist of Chairman of Pakistan People's Party and his son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani and his personal and security staff.
President Zardari will be the first Pakistani head of state to visit India in seven years after the visit of President Pervez Musharraf in 2005.
"Although the visit is private, but the two leaders will discuss all the issues and it will contribute towards achieving the President's vision to promote intra-regional peace and prosperity in this part of the world," said the spokesman.
He said, "We are looking forward for a constructive engagement between the two leaders in New Delhi."
The spokesman said, "Obviously during the lunch the issues, which continue to take priority in our bilateral relations, will be discussed."
According to diplomatic sources, important issues between the two countries, including Jammu Kashmir, Siachen, Sir Creek, visa liberalisation, trade, water as well as regional situation, could be discussed at the luncheon meeting , which will pave the way for further enhancing and promoting bilateral relations.
The invitation to the Indian Prime Minister to visit Pakistan will be reiterated in this meeting as it has already been extended by Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar during her visit to India in July 2011.
Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani also extended the invitation to his Indian counterpart to visit Pakistan during the SAARC summit in Maldives in November 2011 and their meeting in Seoul in March.