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Shimla: Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai will visit his alma mater, the Himachal Pradesh University, in this state capital during his India visit next week.
This will be his second visit to this popular resort town of Himachal Pradesh as president of his country. He had last visited the town about three years ago for a couple of days. Karzai will land in Shimla on the morning of April 13 and drive to the university where he will spend 90 minutes, said Prof V.D. Sharma, a senior official of the university.
“Apart from delivering a lecture to the students and teachers, he will meet his professors most of whom have retired,” said Sharma. Karzai attended university here in the early 1980s for his postgraduate degree in political science. Prior to this he also went to college in Shimla in the 1970s.
Karzai has often spoken of his fond memories of Shimla and the role the town played in the formation of his personality. The president lands in India on April 9.
An IT professional for 17 years, based in the US since the last 12 years. Founded NGO My Himachal and then Himachal Media Pvt. Ltd.. A Himachali forever. Always trying to bring together people whose hearts beat for the state.
Afghan President Karzai may not visit Shimla
Onkar Singh in New Delhi | April 08, 2006 21:30 IST
Afghan President Hamid Karzai who was supposed to visit Shimla on April 13 to visit Himachal University where he once studied may not be able to do so.
According to Navtej Sarna, spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs, said the visit was part of the developing programme but it had not been firmed up and the visiting president would have a tight schedule during his forthcoming visit to India and hence, may be forced to skip the Shimla part of it.
When contacted on phone, Vir Bhadra Singh, Himachal Pradesh chief minister, told rediff.com that he had no intimation of the presidential visit.
“We have not got any confirmation from the MEA or the Afghan government,” he said.
He, however, confirmed that there were news reports in the media about Karzai’s visit to Shimla on April 13.
Vice Chancellor of Himachal University L R Verma told rediff.com that thay have received confirmation of the visit of President Karzai.
“President Karzai will board an aircraft from Chandigarh to Shimla on April 13 at 10 am and he will land about half an hour later at Shimla airstrip. From there he will go straight to the university,” he said.
He however said there could be a change at the eleventh hour and that they have to be prepared for it.