Imran Khan, the impending Prime Minister of Pakistan, has personally invited former Indian cricketer and Punjab Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu for his swearing-in ceremony on August 18 in Islamabad.
Sidhu, in a statement here, said that Khan personally telephoned to invite him for the ceremony.
“The Secretariat of the Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf has invited me to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Imran Khan as the Prime Minister of Pakistan on August 18 at Islamabad,” Sidhu said.
Sidhu said that he has informed the Union Home Ministry and the office of the Punjab Chief Minister regarding his intention to attend the swearing-in ceremony.
On the other hand, the Punjab government has also confirmed the development.
As stated by a government spokesperson, Imran has invited the former Indian cricketer to the ceremony. He said, “The chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Imran Khan, who is going to be sworn in as the Prime Minister of Pakistan, has sent an invitation to former cricketer and Cabinet Minister, Punjab, Navjot Singh Sidhu to his swearing-in ceremony. Apart from this, Khan also extended a personal invitation to Sidhu on the phone which was accepted in all humility by the latter," a government spokesman said here.
Apart from Sidhu, two other Indian cricket legends Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev have also been invited.
Both Sidhu and Dev were contemporaries of the cricketer-turned-politician and had played several matches against Khan's Pakistan cricket team.