Navjot Singh Sidhu gifts shawl to Prime Minister Khan

–Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Rameez Raja and other former cricket players also call on ex-captain

ISLAMABAD: After a long wait of over a day, former Indian cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu, along with other former cricketers, finally got to meet Prime Minister Imran Khan after his oath-taking ceremony in the federal capital on Saturday.

Sidhu shook hands and hugged the newly-elected 22nd PM of Pakistan before gifting him a shawl. Several other friends of Khan from the cricketing world also joined the meeting.

VIDEO:

Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Rameez Raja, Mushtaq Ahmed, and Abdul Qadir were among those who were present at the occasion.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders Faisal Javed and Naeemul Haq accompanied Khan during his visit.

Sidhu arrived in Pakistan on Friday to attend the oath-taking ceremony of PM Imran Khan. He arrived in Lahore from Wagah Border from where he left for Islamabad to meet Imran Khan.

SIDHU HUGS ARMY CHIEF:

Earlier in the day, the Indian commentator met Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa at Prime Minister Imran Khan’s oath-taking ceremony on Saturday.

In the video of a private news channel, it can be seen that Sidhu hugged the army chief after which both talked in a pleasant manner for a while.

A light moment was captured at the PM House in Islamabad when Sidhu and army chief were spotted exchanging pleasantries with smiles brimming over their faces. It was followed by the duo embracing each other with Sidhu stepping up to hug Pakistan’s chief of army staff while their conversation ends.

DRAWS FLAK FOR ATTENDING OATH-TAKING:

Meanwhile, the Twitterati in India have expressed anger over Sidhu’s participation in the oath-taking ceremony of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. “Curse on you Sidhu sahib, curse on you. How will you answer to your country and your people?” tweeted one critic.

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

PTI leader Faisal Javed had 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.