Tuesday, May 31 2005 14:56 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Karachi: Pakistani police will not press a 57-year-old case against Leader of the Opposition L K Advani over an alleged plot to kill the country's first President, officials said.

Advani arrived in Pakistan yesterday (May 30, 2005) and is due to meet President Pervez Musharraf, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri during his visit.

During his weeklong stay, part of a peace process started last year (2004) by India and Pakistan, Advani will visit Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and his native town of Hyderabad.

However, a criminal case is still pending against Advani and 17 others for allegedly conspiring to kill Pakistan's first President Mohammad Ali Jinnah and other leaders, police said.

The case was lodged at Karachi's Jamshed Quarters police station, on September 10, 1947, a few weeks after Partition.

"We still have the first information report of this case in our records," an official at the police station said on condition of anonymity.

The Pakistani Government last week said that it was not aware of any criminal case against Advani.

"He is our guest and visiting Pakistan on our invitation so we cannot open the case against him at this juncture," a senior official said also on condition of anonymity.

The Government of Sindh province said that it was making special security arrangements for Advani who is due to visit Karachi on Friday (June 3, 2005).