Friday, April 15 2005 10:55 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: A day ahead of the arrival of Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, security agencies today (Apr 15, 2005) took control of vital installations, including the place of stay and venues the highly threatened VVIP will visit during his three-day stay in New Delhi.

Hordes of police personnel, including those in plain clothes, have swarmed Ferozeshah Kotla, venue of the April 17 Indo-Pak one-day cricket match to be watched by Musharraf and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Security has also been tightened at Taj Hotel where the Pakistan President will stay along with his delegation and it has been made out of bounds for media persons.

Security agencies have started sanitising the cricket ground and the hotel and anti-sabotage checks to detect any explosives have been initiated at these places.

Musharraf will stay in a suite on the ninth floor of the hotel where 70 rooms have been booked for his entourage.

Though security in the hotel in the form of plainclothes security personnel is very tight, it has been kept unobtrusive for guests. Snipers and commando units will take up positions on the rooftop and roads leading to the hotel may be sealed, police sources said.

Inside the hotel, the staff is busy in preparations to make Musharraf's visit memorable.

Chefs, who have done considerable research to find out about Musharraf's preferences, said a variety of kebabs, kormas and breads will be spread out for the special guests.

For the President who likes Kashmiri food, 'rogan josh', 'gushtaaba', 'rista' and 'tabak maaz' will be on the menu.

As he is also known to have a sweet tooth, a number of sweetmeats, mostly belonging to the Indian sub-continent, will also be prepared, the chefs said.

While the chefs concentrate on preparing delicious cuisine for the VVIPs, security personnel have made arrangements for the Pakistan President's visit to Kotla stadium in a manner that does not cause inconvenience to cricket fans.

A helipad has been prepared at Ambedkar Stadium, adjacent to the stadium, which may be used to take the high-profile spectator to the venue.