Pak to send Sania gold crown

The Pakistan President, Mr Asif Ali Zardari, and the Prime Minister, Mr Yousuf Raza Gilani, are to send separate gifts plus greeting cards to Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza for their marriage.

“The President has also joined the Prime Minister in dispatching the gifts along with greeting cards to the couple,” an official at the presidency said.

He said a proposal was under consideration to confer on Sania Mirza a civilian award in the near future to firm up the position that Pakistan stands for promoting peace and establishing people-to-people contact.

“The President has issued directives to his principal secretary, Mr Salman Farooqi, to send a gift, salaami (cash) and a greeting card to both Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza,” the official at the presidency said.

Pakistan’s population welfare minister Ms Firdous Ashiq Awan said she would present Shoaib and Sania with gold crowns on their arrival in the country after their wedding.

Ms Awan, who represents Shoaib’s hometown of Sialkot in parliament, said she plans to attend the wedding on April 15.

“I am going to India on April 14 to attend Shoaib and Sania’s marriage,” she said, adding that the marriage will help improve relations between India and Pakistan and bring the people of both countries closer to each other.

“I will hold a ceremony in Sialkot to place gold crown on the heads of Shoaib and Sania,” she said.

Ms Awan said she would also present gifts on behalf of the President and the Prime Minister of Pakistan to the couple.

Mr Gilani, who wanted a delegation of MPs to visit Hyderabad, thinks it is impossible to dispatch such a large number of persons in their official capacities due to security clearances with India.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan government on Sunday contacted its high commissioner to India, Mr Shahid Malik, directing him to ensure the recovery of cricketer Shoaib Malik’s passport from the Indian authorities after it was seized by the police when his ex-wife Ayesha Siddiqui filed a case against him in Hyderabad.

Interior minister Rehman Malik has contacted the Pakistan high commissioner in India on the phone to get back Shoaib Malik’s passport," an official statement issued here said. "The Pakistan high commissioner in New Delhi has been directed to take immediate action to get back Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik’s passport, seized by the Indian police," it added.

Because of security concerns, senior Pakistan Punjab minister, Mr Raja Riaz has said the valima (feast) ceremony would be cerebrated at the Governor’s House in Lahore.

At the same time, several dozen MPs have expressed their desire to be part of an official delegation that would participate in the marriage ceremony.