New Delhi, Aug 17: Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who passed away at the AIIMS in Delhi on Thursday, was cremated with full state honours at the Smriti Sthal today.

The funeral pyre was lit by Vajpayee's adopted daughter Namita Bhattacharya, after the three wings of the armed forces accorded to him the gun salute as a mark of final respect.

Scores of admirers and supporters of the late former PM joined the funeral procession which began from the BJP headquarters at 1pm. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah led the procession, walking alongside the casket.

Dignitaries from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka arrived in Delhi on Friday to pay homage to Vajpayee. "We are here to share your grief and pay our condolences on the behalf of people of Pakistan and the Government of Pakistan," said Pakistan Law Minister Ali Zafar.

Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who was present at Smriti Sthal, said the South Asian region has lost a major votary of peace with the demise of Vajpayee.

The government of France also issued a statement, expressing grief over the demise of Vajpayee. "Poet, politician, visionary, he left his mark on India’s history. His name remains linked to the Indo-French friendship, which he shaped by launching the strategic partnership that has united our two countries since 1998," said the statement issued by the French regime.

Vajpayee, 93, had spent nearly six decades in public life before suffering a stroke in 2009 which left him speech-impaired. He was part of either Houses of the Parliament for a consecutive-50 years. The BJP patriarch held the prime ministerial post on three occasions - in 1996, 1998 and 1999. His last tenure ended in 2004.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 17, 2018 05:37 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).