Not yet on the seat, but the hope that Imran Khan will be his own man, has just been turned on its head.


Pakistan's Prime Minister in-waiting has apparently withdrawn the invitations sent out to friends, actor Aamir Khan and former cricketers Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and Navjot Singh Sidhu.


Reports had said that Khan had personally requested them to attend his oath-taking ceremony on August 11.


The Oxford-educated politician's party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has now said that it is not inviting any actors or cricketers for function.


The PTI spokesperson had on Wednesday said that official invites would go to Khan's friends, but on Thursday the party decided to go for an "extremely simple" and "austere" event.


Punjab minister Navjot Sidhu had said he would certainly attend his "close friend's" swearing-in ceremony and gushed how it was an honour to receive an invitation. He had also likened Khan to a Greek god.


All speculations on whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be attending the ceremony were laid to rest when PTI yesterday confirmed that no foreign leader would be invited.