Imran ushers in Pakistan’s new era
Sheds tears as he takes the oath as new prime minister
Pakistan’s new Prime Minister Imran Khan was sworn in at a ceremony in Islamabad yesterday, ushering in a new political era as the World Cup cricket hero officially took the reins of power in the nuclear-armed country.
The ceremony at the President’s House in the capital marks the end of decades of rotating leadership between the ousted Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), punctuated by periods of army rule.
A tearful Khan, clad in a traditional black sherwani, swore to “bear true faith and allegiance to Pakistan”, and to “discharge my duties and perform my functions honestly, to the best of my ability... and always in the interest of the sovereignty, integrity, solidarity, well-being and prosperity of Pakistan”.
Cricket star-turnedpolitician Imran Khan was sworn in as the 22nd prime minister of Pakistan yesterday, after 22 long years of political struggle.
Khan was elected prime minister during a vote in the country’s National Assembly on Friday after his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) won the most votes in the July 25 general elections.
He donned a black sherwani as he took oath. President Mamnoon Hussain administered the oath.
Khan, 65, was tearful as he swore to “bear true faith and allegiance to Pakistan”, and to “discharge my duties and perform my functions honestly, to the best of my ability ... and always in the interest of the sovereignty, integrity, solidarity, well-being and prosperity of Pakistan.”
After taking the oath as the prime minister, Imran Khan and First Lady Bushra Imran, greeted various guests present on the occasion. It was Bushra’s first public appearance since their wedding and she was seen covered in a white veil and dress from head to toe.
However Khan’s sons — Sulaiman and Qasim — did not attend the ceremony, as their father was reportedly “adamant” that they do not attend.
“The boys really wanted to be there but their father told them not to come” the former cricketer’s ex-wife Jemima Goldsmith said on Twitter.
Sulaiman and Qasim Khan live with their mother in London. Khan and Jemima divorced in 2004.
Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan, Naval Chief Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi, caretaker prime minister Nasirul Mulk, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser attended the ceremony at the Aiwan-e-Sadr (presidential palace) in Islamabad. Other notable guests included senior PTI leaders including Asad Umar, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Shireen Mazari, Chaudhary and Jahangir Tareen, former cricketers Rameez Raja, Wasim Akram, singers Salman Ahmad and Ibrarul Haq and actor Javaid Shaikh. As the ceremony concluded, Khan proceeded to the Prime Minister House, where he was presented a guard of honour by a contingent of the armed forces. Later Imran Khan approved a 20-member cabinet, comprising 15 federal ministers and five advisers, Prime Minister Office media wing said yesterday.
Central spokesperson of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Fawad Chaudhry on his Twitter account said the nominated cabinet would take oath today at the Aiwan-e-Sadr (presidential palace).
Sidhu hugs Bajwa
Meanwhile, Indian cricketerturned-politician, Navjot Singh Sidhu, was also among the special invitees, and was seen seated in the front row, where he warmly embraced Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Sidhu described Imran Khan’s election as the prime minister a historic moment in the history of Pakistan.
Addressing journalists after attended the oath-taking ceremony of Imran Khan, Sidhu said that the Imran Khan as a prime minister will be a new hope for peace between India and Pakistan and region’s sta- bility and prosperity. “Imran Khan symbolises hope and Indian people and government have great expectations from him.”
But Sidhu’s visit did not go unnoticed across the border.
The BJP yesterday attacked Punjab Minister and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu for hugging Pakistan’s Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and for sitting beside the President of Pakistan-administered Kashmir at the swearing in ceremony of Imran Khan and demanded his suspension from the party immediately.