Pak delegates to attend Shoaib-Sania wedding

Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has decided to send a parliamentary delegation to attend the much-hyped cross-border wedding of tennis star Sania Mirza and cricketer Shoaib Malik.

The lawmakers will carry Gilani's special gift for Sania and Shoaib, who are scheduled to marry on April 15.

"The Prime Minister is not only excited about their marriage but will also send a gift to convey his (good) wishes to the couple," Population Welfare Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan told The News daily.

Apart from Awan, Sports Minister Ijaz Jhakrani is also expected to attend the wedding.

"The Prime Minister agreed with me that some other members should also attend the ceremony," said Awan, who recently announced she would gift the couple a family planning kit and asked them to become ambassadors for Pakistan's programs to curb population growth.

Awan is also looking forward to hosting a reception with other parliamentarians from Sialkot in honour of Shoaib and Sania.

Awan represents Sialkot, the hometown of Shoaib, in parliament. "Our preference is Sialkot, but it may be Lahore as insisted by PML-N (lawmaker) Khwaja Muhammad Asif (because of security issues)," she said.

Asif, who has been invited to the wedding by Shoaib's family, may not be able to attend, as he would be travelling to Dubai.

Awan said she enjoyed excellent relations with Shoaib's family because of their Sialkot connection. "Shoaib and I are jointly working on a hospital project, and therefore we remain in constant contact," she said.

But it's not just Awan, who is looking forward to hosting the couple. Many receptions have been lined up for the couple by others as well.