Swearing-in: Imran to invite Kapil, Gavaskar, Sidhu
Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan plans to invite former Indian Test cricketers Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Navjot Sidhu and actor Aamir Khan to his swearing-in ceremony as the next premier of Pakistan, a spokesman for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said on Wednesday.
A final decision on inviting foreign dignitaries, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will be made by the foreign office, Fawad Chaudhry said on the phone from Islamabad. “Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, (Navjot) Sidhu and Aamir Khan – these four people will be invited. The Foreign Office will decide on the foreign dignitaries,” Chaudhry said.
PTI has emerged the singlelargest party in the National Assembly in the recent elections, but it is still in talks with several smaller parties and independent candidates to secure the required numbers to form the government in the country. Chaudhry earlier tweeted that speculations in the media about foreign dignitaries attending the oath-taking ceremony were “not correct”. Sidhu, however, claimed he had received the invite for the swearing-in. “It is a great honour, I accept the invitation,” said the Punjab minister in a statement.
Meanwhile, PTI leaders met foreign secretary Tehmina Janjua in Islamabad on Wednesday to discuss the possibility of inviting leaders of the Saarc states, including Modi, for the event.