PM Modi, SAARC leaders not invited to Imran Khan’s oath-taking ceremony

Foreign leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will not be invited to attend Pakistan’s Prime Minister-in-waiting Imran Khan’s oath-taking ceremony on August 11, Islamabad said on Thursday.

"Media speculation about international dignitaries attending PM oath ceremony are not correct," said Fawad Chaudhry, a spokesperson of PTI, stating that a simple ceremony would be held at Aiwan-e-Sadr or President's House.

Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) emerged as the single largest party in the July 25 National Assembly elections. However, Khan needed an alliance partner to form the government as he fell 21 short of the majority mark of 137 directly elected members.

Last week, several reports in the Pakistani media claimed that the PTI chief would invite SAARC leaders, including Indian Prime Minister, for his swearing-in ceremony.

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"It has been decided that no foreign personalities will be invited to the ceremony - it will be a completely national event. Only a few close friends of Imran Khan will be invited. There will be no show of extravagance at the event," Chaudhry said.

From India, former cricketers Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar and Navjot Singh Sidhu had been invited for the swearing-in of new Pakistani premier.

In his victory speech, Khan had vowed to take austerity measures to save taxpayers money. He had also said that he will be “ashamed” to live in the palatial prime minister’s house. He had said that the PM house of Pakistan would be converted into an educational institution.

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