Kapil Dev declines Imran’s oath-taking invitation, Sidhu gets visa

After Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev has turned down PM designate Imran Khan’s invite to the swearing-in ceremony. The cricketer has confirmed that he would not be attending the swearing-in ceremony on August 18, reported Indian newspaper Times Now. 

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Faisal Javed announced on August 10 that cricket legends from India Kapil Dev, Navjyot Singh Sidhu, and Sunil Gavaskar have been invited to attend oath-taking ceremony.

Reports, however, said that Kapil Dev refused to attend the ceremony citing ‘personal reasons’. On August 12, Gavaskar conveyed to Khan that he would not be able to attend the event as he had prior work commitments. On the contrary, cricketer-turned-politician Navjyot Singh Sidhu has accepted the invitation.

In fact, on August 13, Sidhu was seen visiting Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. After the visit, Sidhu had said that he had applied for a permit from the Indian government and that his travel to Pakistan depended on the permission by GoI.

Meanwhile, Indian ruling party BJP leader Subramanian Swamy had condemned Sidhu’s decision to travel to Pakistan and called it ‘treachery’.

SIDHU GETS VISA: 

Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi has issued the visa to former Indian cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu to attend prime minister-elect Imran Khan’s oath-taking ceremony,  reported a private news channel.

According to the news report, after getting the formal invitation from Imran Khan, Sidhu had applied for the visa. On Monday, the former Indian cricketer visited the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi where he was granted the visa for Pakistan, the report stated adding, he will arrive in Pakistan on August 17 and will participate in the swearing-in ceremony of Imran Khan.