ZULFIQAR AHMAD
ISLAMABAD: After Pak-istan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) emerged as a majority seat winning party in July 25 general election, the party on Friday confirmed that Imran Khan will take oath as the 19th prime minister of the country on August 18.
Talking to media, PTI Central Information Secretary Fawad Chaudhry said that newly-elected members of National Assembly would take oath at 10:00am on August 13, which would be followed by election for National Assembly speaker and deputy speaker through secret balloting.
“The procedure takes two to three days, hence it has been decided that the oath-taking of the prime minister [Imran Khan] would take place on August 18,” he announced, adding that preparations for the ceremony would kick off from Saturday.
He also confirmed that his party had the support of 180 members in the National Assembly. The party needs the support of 172 lawmakers in a 342-member house to form a government.
The confirmation of the oath-taking ceremony of Khan as prime minister came after President Mamnoon Hussain summoned a session of the National Assembly on August 13 during which the newly-elected members will take oath.
The PTI’s parliamentary committee on Monday last officially named party Chairman Imran Khan as their parliamentary leader and nominee for the next prime minister of Pakistan.
The PTI, which secured 116 general seats in the National Assembly in July 25 polls is the largest party in the Lower House of Parliament.
President Mamnoon Hussain has decided to postpone his visit to Scotland in order to administer the oath to the new prime minister. Mamnoon was scheduled to visit Edinburgh from August 16 to August 19.
“The President will now embark on his trip after the oath-taking ceremony,” said a senior PTI leader, as the party had requested the President to undertake his visit after the oath-taking ceremony of the new premier.
Earlier in the day, the Election Commission of Pakistan accepted the unconditional written apology from Khan for violating the secrecy of the ballot, removing the last possible hurdle in his swearing-in.
The 65-year-old leader had contested from five constituencies and won all of them. Khan will forgo four seats, in which by-elections will be held after two months.
Interestingly, Chaudhry said that Khan would not stay at PM House or Punjab House in Islamabad.
“Imran, being the prime minister, will stay at the Ministers’ Enclave; however, he may stay at the Punjab House for a few days because of repair of the house,” he explained.
A couple of days ago, PTI leader Naeemul Haque had said that Khan would reside at the chief minister’s annexe at Punjab House, after taking oath as premier.
In his first speech after PTI emerged victorious in July 25 polls, Imran had said he was likely to turn the Prime Minister House into an educational institute. “Our government will decide what we will do with the PM House. We want to turn it into an educational or public institution,” he had said.
Meanwhile, PTI Senator Faisal Javed said that three former Indian cricketers have been invited to Imran’s oath-taking ceremony.
