Imran Khan takes oath as 22nd Pakistani PM

Cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan on Saturday took oath as Pakistan's 22nd Prime Minister, three weeks after his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party won the highest number of seats in the general election.

Khan, who outvoted opposition and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Shahbaz Sharif in the Prime Minister's election on Friday, was administered his oath by President Mamnoon Hussain at the President House here, reports Dawn news.

Clad in a black sherwani, Khan was accompanied ny his wife Bushra Imran.

High-profile guests including caretaker Prime Minister Nasirul Mulk, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan and Naval Chief Admiral Zafar Mahmood Abbasi were in attendence.

Other notable guests present include former Indian cricket star Navjot Singh Sidhu, cricketer-turned-commentator Rameez Raja, legendary paceman Wasim Akram, newly-elected Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, singers Salman Ahmed and Abrarul Haq, actor Javaid Sheikh, former National Assembly speaker Fehmida Mirza and senior PTI leaders.

After the PTI emerged as the biggest parliamentary party in the wake of the July 25 polls, all 120 of the party's parliamentary committee members rubber-stamped Khan's candidacy for the post of the Prime Minister.

--IANS

ksk/vm