NEW DELHI: Imran Khan, Pakistan's Prime Minister-in-waiting, has invited former cricketers Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar and Navjot Singh Sidhu to his oath-taking ceremony on August 11. Other than these two, actor Aamir Khan has also been invited.
Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, who hailed Khan for his party's performance in National Assembly elections of Pakistan, said he accepts the invitation with a great honour.
"It's a great honour and I accept the invitation. Men of genius are admired, men of power are feared but men of character are trusted. Khan Sahab is a man of character and he can be trusted," he said.
PTI spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry said that his party has invited Bollywood star Aamir Khan and cricketers Kapil Dev and Sunil Gavaskar for the event.
Meanwhile, senior PTI leaders met Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua and wished to know which foreign leaders it would be possible to invite for the event given the short period of time before the ceremony takes place, DawnNewsTv reported quoting sources privy to the meetings.
The sources said that the PTI leaders wished to invite the heads of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) member states - including Prime Minister Modi - as well as leaders of China and Turkey, the channel said. The PTI leaders also asked the Foreign Office for suggestions on the issue.
Modi had on Monday telephoned Khan to congratulate him on his party's victory in the general elections and hoped that "Pakistan and India will work to open a new chapter in bilateral ties".
Khan thanked Modi for his wishes and emphasised that disputes should be resolved through dialogue.
Imran Khan had in his 'victory' speech said his country is ready to improve ties with India and resolve all disputes, including the "core issue" of Kashmir, through talks.
Khan, who is set to become Pakistan's premier, had said it was in the interest of both countries that they have good relations and trade ties.
Raking up the Kashmir issue in first address after elections, Khan had said it is the "core" issue between the two countries and it should be resolved through talks.
"Kashmiri people have suffered in the last 30 years. We have to resolve the Kashmir issue by sitting across the table. If India will take one step, we are ready to take two. We have to resolve this core issue through dialogue. It will be good for the subcontinent also," he had said.
He said there has been a blame game between India and Pakistan with New Delhi holding Islamabad responsible for all its problems and Pakistan blaming India for whatever is happening in Balochistan. "This blame game, which brings us back to square one everytime, has to stop."
"If India's leadership is ready, we are ready to improve ties with India. If you take on step forward we will take two steps forward," he had said.
(With inputs from PTI)