Khaleej Times

Imran to be sworn in as Pak PM on August 18

-

islamabad — Pakistan’s World Cup cricket hero Imran Khan will be sworn in as prime minister next week, his party said on Friday, announcing it has the numbers to form a coalition government in the lower house of parliament.

Imran’s Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaf (PTI) party said the entire squad that Imran captained to victory in the 1992 World Cup were invited to the ceremony, as well as Indian cricket greats Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Navjot Singh Sidhu.

“In a historic moment, Imran Khan will take the oath (as prime minister) on August 18,” Faisal Javed Khan, a PTI senator and Imran’s close aide, said in televised comments in Islamabad.

Pakistan’s President Mamnoon Hussain has called a session of the new National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, starting August 13.

Earlier, India’s high commission­er in Pakistan Ajay Bisaria called on Imran and congratula­ted him on his victory.

“Discussed the need to restart dialogue between Pak & India on all outstandin­g issues including Kashmir,” Imran’s spokeswoma­n Anila Khawaja told after the meeting.

The Indian high commission tweeted that Bisaria had gifted Imran a cricket bat autographe­d by the entire Indian national team.

The PTI leader brings charisma and internatio­nal name recognitio­n, but running the country will take considerab­le statecraft from his relatively inexperien­ced party.

He has already vowed to rebalance Islamabad’s relationsh­ip with the United States, months after United States President Donald Trump suspended security aid over Islamabad’s alleged failure to target militancy along its borders. —

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan Tehreek-eInsaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan will be sworn in as prime minister next week, his party said on Friday, announcing it has the numbers to form a coalition government.

The PTI said the entire squad that Imran captained to victory in the 1992 World Cup were invited to the ceremony, as well as Indian cricket greats Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar and Navjot Singh Sidhu.

The party confirmed on Friday that it has secured the numbers for a majority in the lower house of parliament.

“In a historic moment, Imran Khan will take the oath (as prime minister) on August 18,” Faisal Javed Khan, a PTI senator and Khan’s close aide, said in televised comments in Islamabad. —

 ?? AFP ?? BATTING FOR BETTER TIES: Ajay Bisaria presents a cricket bat to Imran during a meeting in Islamabad, on Friday. —
AFP BATTING FOR BETTER TIES: Ajay Bisaria presents a cricket bat to Imran during a meeting in Islamabad, on Friday. —

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Arab Emirates