GILGIT, May 29: The army and Northern Areas administration have finalized arrangements for President Pervez Musharraf’s visit to Skardu and Gilgit on Monday. Official sources said arrangements for the president’s visit had been finalized, but they were keeping their fingers crossed as far as the weather, which had been obstructing flights to the region for the last three days, was concerned.

Intermittent rain in the last three days had prevented Prince Karim Aga Khan from flying into Skardu.

The federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Northern Areas, Faisal Saleh Hayat, however, managed to reach Skardu on Sunday to inspect arrangements ahead of the president’s visit to the region.

Sources said over one dozen reporters who had gone to Gilgit and Skardu by road two days ago to cover the presidential visit to the region had been stuck in Besham as the Karakoram Highway was blocked at Shatan Pari near Basham in Kohistan district.