Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf emerged as the largest party in the July 25 election.Islamabad:Foreign leaders will not be invited to Imran Khan's swearing-in as Pakistan's Prime Minister on August 11, Islamabad said today.Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) emerged as the largest party in the July 25 election, but short of numbers to take power without an alliance.Earlier this week, reports suggested that the 65-year-old wanted to invite SAARC leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi to his oath ceremony."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.Imran Khan had asked for the oath to be staged with austerity, Mr Chaudhry said."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," he said.Imran Khan's personal invitations stand.
"A few of Imran's friends are the only foreign nationals being invited to the event," said Mr Chaudhry.The legendary cricketer has invited actor Aamir Khan and former cricketers Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Navjot Singh Sidhu.
Mr Sidhu accepted the invitation, calling Imran Khan "a man of character".Addressing the nation after his victory, Imran Khan had pledged to take austerity measures to save taxpayers' money and said he would be "ashamed" to stay in the sprawling Prime Minister's House.The PTI spokesperson had earlier said that the party had sought the advice of the Foreign Office on inviting foreign dignitaries.PM Modi had called Imran Khan to congratulate him on his party's victory in the general elections in Pakistan and hoped that "Pakistan and India will work to open a new chapter in bilateral ties".
Imran Khan in his victory speech had also said that better relations between Pakistan and India would be "good for all of us".Former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif had travelled to Delhi to attend PM Modi's oath ceremony in 2014 and PM Modi had made a surprise stopover at Lahore in December 2015 on his birthday.Ties between the two countries have been strained in recent years over terror strikes by Pakistan-based groups, especially the attack on an army camp in Kashmir's Uri, after which India carried out surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the Line of Control.