Indian president confers degree on Karzai

Indian President Pranab Mukherjee shakes hands with Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai after he was presented an honorary degree by Lovely Professional University (LPU ) chancellor Ashok Mittal  at Lovely Professional University (LPU) on the outskirts of Jalandhar yesterday.Agencies/JalandharIndian President Pranab Mukherjee yesterday conferred an honorary degree on Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai during the convocation of the Lovely Professional University (LPU) here.Mukherjee and Karzai arrived in this Punjab city, 150km from Chandigarh, yesterday  afternoon.Karzai was conferred with a honorary doctorate of social sciences degree. This is the first honoris causa degree awarded by the LPU.With nearly 30,000 on-campus students, the LPU is one of the biggest private universities in the country.Karzai arrived in India yesterday on a two-day visit during which he is expected to seek greater military aid from the government in New Delhi, officials said. The Afghan leader landed in the northern Indian city of Chandigarh. He will reach the national capital later, an AFP photographer from the site reported. Karzai will meet President Pranab Mukherjee, who is also the ceremonial supreme commander of Indian armed forces, the world’s fourth largest, a foreign ministry statement said. Later in the day, the Indian-educated Karzai will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for talks on the future of the war-torn country as 100,000 Nato troops prepare to withdraw by the end of next year. Discussions will cover a potential arms deal between the two countries, an Indian foreign ministry official told AFP in New Delhi, speaking on condition of anonymity. Earlier this month, Afghanistan’s ambassador to India said the country needs India’s help with equipment and weapons and was hoping to boost defence ties. In 2011 India and Afghanistan began a “strategic partnership” aimed at deepening security and economic links.