"New Dawn for Pakistan under ’Greek God’ Imran Khan": Navjot Singh Sidhu

Mangalore Today News Network

Chandigarh, Aug 02, 2018 : As Pakistan preps to get a flamboyant Prime Minister in Imran Khan, his oath-taking could set an example of austerity. The cricketer-turned-politician has decided to keep it "extremely simple" and not at all "ostentatious".

While the Oxford-educated politician has already invited his close friends from his cricketing days, his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said that it will take a decision on invitations to foreign dignitaries after consulting with the Pakistan Foreign Office.

Among those who are expected to cheer for Pakistan’s new prime minister on August 11, include actor Aamir Khan and former cricketers Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Navjot Singh Sidhu.

"It’s an honour to be among the first invitees. It’s a wonderful gesture. Men of genius are admired, men of power are feared but men of character are trusted. Khan sahab is a man of character. He can be trusted," said Mr Sidhu, also a cricketer-turned-politician like Imran Khan, at Chandigarh Press Club.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi won’t be attending the ceremony, the Punjab minister said "if he is allowed, he will definitely go", and clarified that "it’s a personal invitation, and he hasn’t received an official invite yet".

"Food isn’t enough to satisfy a man. Respect and honour mean a lot. For any politician, honour is his wealth. If the name is lost, everything is lost. It’s an honour for me that Khan sahab has invited me for his big day," Mr Sidhu said.

A smitten Mr Sidhu likened Imran Khan to a Greek god. "We have shared a special relationship since 1983. I had heard that he was a Greek God, but when I first saw him, I felt that if there were parameters to assess looks, he was ahead of a Greek god," the Congress leader said.

The fan in Mr Sidhu added that Imran Khan as Prime Minister would usher in an era of hope. It will be a new dawn for Pakistan, he said.

"Imran Khan has exhibited great character during crisis. He saw opportunities in adversities. When he won the World Cup, Pakistan was on the verge of being thrown out. But he turned things around," Mr Sidhu said.

Imran Khan’s PTI emerged as the single largest party in Pakistan’s national assembly after the July 25 general election in the country. However, it is still short of numbers to form the government on its own.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf is reportedly in talks with other political parties and independent candidates in a bid to woo them to join its ranks to form a coalition government at the centre.

Calling him a trustworthy politician, the former batsman added, "When you look at him, you want to trust him. When his mother died of cancer, he constructed a cancer hospital where world-class doctors now treat patients for free. It tells you the intention of the man. From winning one seat to becoming the prime minister, he has risen from the scratch. He didn’t bow down when he faced rejection. I have seen him turn weakness into his strength, obstacles into stepping stones, and disaster into triumph. He fought the system and today he has been empowered to change the system."

Ties between India and Pakistan have remained tense since the Mumbai terror attack in 2008, and worsened after the Uri terror attack by Pak-based terrorists.

The terror attacks by Pakistan-based groups in 2016 and India’s surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the Line of Control and more recently the death sentence given by a Pak military court to retired naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav, who was kidnapped from Iran while on a business visit, further deteriorated ties between the neighbours.

Imran Khan’s arrival will change the relationship dynamics between the two neighbours, Mr Sidhu is certain. "When there is, acrimony, the ice needs to melt, someone needs to make a beginning. He can give wings to our aspirations. The past is a bucket full of ashes and I see this as an opportunity of bonhomie and peace," he said.

Mr Sidhu is also bullish about the economic prosperity. "Collaboration can accelerate progress in both the countries. There are infinite possibilities with Khan sahab," he said.


courtesy:NDTV