MUMBAI – Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar has declined to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan next weekend as the prime minister, according to media reports.
Gavaskar says he has spoken to Imran Khan and wished him luck, but he would be unable to attend the ceremony due to a test match in England which coincides with the day the cricketer-turned politician will be sworn in as the prime minister of Pakistan.
“As a cricketer, Imran Khan has visited India a number of times. He has interacted with Indians. He understands India, so I have a lot of expectations from him as far as India’s relations with Pakistan are concerned,” Gavaskar told India Today.
Imran Khan has also invited other Indian cricketers including Kapil Dev and Navjot Singh Sidhu.
Sidhu, a former cricketer and Punjab local bodies minister, has accepted the invite for Khan’s swearing-in ceremony.
Sidhu, who has more than three decade’s association with Imran as a cricketer and commentator, said he got the invite in a personal capacity. “Khan Saab even called me up inviting for the event on Friday. We chatted for a few minutes. I congratulated and conveyed my best wishes to him,” Sidhu told Times of India.
https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/lifestyle/this-is-a-personal-invitation-says-sidhu-about-coming-to-pakistan-for-oath-taking-ceremony-of-imran-khan/
Imran Khan will take oath as 19th Prime Minister of the South Asian country on August 18.
