Indian star cricketer Sidhu granted visa for Imran's oath-taking ceremony

Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev will be unable to attend event

LAHORE: Former Indian cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu was issued a 14-day Pakistani visa on Wednesday by the High Commission in New Delhi to attend the swearing-in ceremony of prime minister-in-waiting Imran Khan.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said last week that some star Indian cricketers, including Navjot Sidhu, Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev, have been invited to the inauguration of Premier Imran Khan.

Sidhu, who is now an Indian parliamentarian, is set to reach Pakistan on August 17. However, Kapil and Gavaskar say they would not be able to attend the ceremony due to pre-planned engagements.

On July 28, Sidhu heaped praise on Imran in an interview with an Indian news channel. “I truly believe he [Imran] can take them [Pakistan] to new heights,” he said



“The most important thing is that he’s a good person and that’s a rare quality,” Sidhu said. “He’s got a pure soul,” Sidhu said.
“He brings people together the same way he’s brought the Pakistani society together,” the former cricketer said about the prime minister-in-waiting.

“He’s also got that passion, look at the wonders an extraordinary captain like him did to an ordinary Pakistan team back in 1992,” he said while referring to the Pakistan cricket team’s World Cup glory.