Devotees pray for Indo-Pak peace at Kashmir shrine

Thanna Mandi (Jammu and Kashmir), Jan.10 (ANI): A large number of devotees thronged the Shahdara Sharif Dargah (Mausoleum) here on Friday to offer prayers for better relations between India and Pakistan.

Situated approximately 117 kilometers from Jammu, and located atop a beautiful hillock in the Thanna Mandi area of the northern state, the shrine is dedicated to Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah.

People from all walks of life visit the shrine to have their wishes fulfilled. In fact, Thanna Mandi has become quite famous because of this shrine.

This year too, the devotees gathered at the shrine and offered prayers for better relations between India and Pakistan, which have been strained due to the terror attacks on Mumbai.

"We pray to god that people of Jammu Kashmir live in peace and the tension between India and Pakistan subsides and the priest also offered prayers that amicable relations are established between both the countries," said Mohammed Bashir, a devotee.

"Large number of people come here and pray for peace and harmony in the country," said Mohhammed Iqbal Khanechi, another devotee.

India has blamed Pakistani militants for the coordinated strikes in Mumbai on November 26 by 10 gunmen that killed 179 people.

New Delhi has presented a dossier of material to Pakistan earlier this week, which linked Pakistani militants to the November attacks in Mumbai.

It wants Pakistan to investigate fully the leads in the dossier and help to bring those responsible for planning and coordinating the attacks to justice in India.

Britain and the United States have joined India in blaming the banned Islamist group Lashkar-e-Taiba for carrying out the attacks. (ANI)