The Jammu and Kashmir [Images] government put up hoardings of Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh [Images] and Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf [Images] along the 170 km long Srinagar-Muzaffarbad route.

The hoardings are accompanied with messages of peace and friendship.

The inaugural bus will kick off on April 7.

This is the first time that a hoarding of a Pakistani leader has been prominently displayed in the valley.

Before the normalisation of Indo-Pak relations, displaying of Pakistani flag or photograph of leaders of the neighbouring country was considered an offence in the state.

Police and security forces, who were hitherto used to removing flags, posters and photographs having anything to do with Pakistan, were now seen guarding the new hoardings.

Besides the hoardings, the state administration has launched a massive drive to beautify the capital ahead of the flagging off ceremony by Singh.

The footpaths along the road to be used by the Prime Minister are being painted afresh in yellow and black.

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