ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreeki-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan has decided to take the oath as the 21st elected prime minister of the country at a simple ceremony.

However, the date for the ceremony in which President Mamnoon Hussain will administer the oath to Mr Khan has yet to be finalised.

PTI spokesman Fawad Chaudhry, who had told reporters on Wednesday that Bollywood actors and Indian cricket stars would attend the ceremony, took a U-turn on Thursday and said no invitation had been sent to foreign players and actors.ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreeki-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan has decided to take the oath as the 21st elected prime minister of the country at a simple ceremony.

However, the date for the ceremony in which President Mamnoon Hussain will administer the oath to Mr Khan has yet to be finalised.

PTI spokesman Fawad Chaudhry, who had told reporters on Wednesday that Bollywood actors and Indian cricket stars would attend the ceremony, took a U-turn on Thursday and said no invitation had been sent to foreign players and actors.`The PTI chairman will take the oath in a simple ceremony to be held at the Presidency. There is no truth in the reports circulating in media regarding the invitations being sent to foreign players or actors,` he said.

Mr Chaudhry said no foreign dignitaries were being invited andhence the ceremony would be completelynationalinits essence. `Only a few close friends of Imran Khan will be invited,` he said, adding that Mr Khan had directed that the oath-taking be arranged in a simple ceremony at the President House without any show of extravagance.

Senior PTI leader Senator Faisal Javed also rejected the reports circulating in the media regarding invitations being sent to foreign players and actors for the oath-taking ceremony. `Being the custodians of taxpayers` money, we are looking forward to holding a simple and austere oath-taking ceremony completely national in its essence,` he maintained.

He said players from across the world, including India, had sent warm wishes to PM-in-waiting Imran Khan, who heartily thanked everyone for wishing him on his party`s historic win in the elections.

Mr Khan has also decided that after becoming the prime minister he will not live in a palatial Prime Minister House but in the NA speaker`s residence at Ministers Enclave.

Meanwhile, the PTI appears to be in a strong position to form its government at the Centre after the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) announced its support for the former on Thursday.

Although media reports have been circuladng for the last few days that the MQM has decided to become an ally of the PTI at the Centre, Muttahida convener Khalid Maqbool finally announced on Thursday that his party would support the PTI.

The MQM has won six NA seats in the elections.

With this announcement, the PTI claimed to have secured 170 seats of the National Assembly (PTI and its alhes) against 172 seats required to form the government.

When contacted, PTI leader Arif Alvi claimed that his party was in a comfortable position to form governments at the Center and in Punjab. `I think the party hascrossedtheñgure of172 seatsinNA,`he added.

Meanwhile, Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) president Sardar Akhtar Megngal met a PTI delegation led by Naeemul Haq at the Balochistan House and both sides pledged to support each other as coalition partners at the Centre andin Balochistan.

`We will support those who will work for the betterment and progress of Balochistan,` Mr Mengal said at a press conference af ter the meeting.

On the other hand, Sardar Yar Muhammad Rind, who had opposed the candidature of Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) president Jam Kamal Alyani as new chief minister of Balochistan, said on Thursday that he had no objection to the announcement made by PTI senior leader Jehangir Tareen.

The PTI got another boost from Punjab as independent MNA-elect Mohammad Amjad Farooq (NA-190) and MPAs-elect Mohsin Atta Khosa (PP-288) and Malik Ghulam Rasool Sangh (PP83) joined the PTI on Thursday, following a meeting with Imran Khan at his Banigala residence.

Thenewcomersexpressed complete confidence and trust in Mr Khan`s leadership and party`s manifesto.

Later, a delegation of MajlisWahdatulMuslimeen led by Allama Raja Nasir Abbas caHed on the PTI chairman to congratulate him on his victory in the general elections.