Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz stayed away from the strictly-guarded valima (reception) of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's daughter Mahrukh in Karachi on Thursday evening.
The Mumbai blasts accused don, also did not turn-up at the reception of his daughter, who married Junaid, the son of former Pakistani cricket team's captain Javed Miandad in Dubai on July 23.
The impressive and celebrity-studded valima given by the groom's side of the family after the marriage, was held amidst tight security.
Dawood was not the only one who stayed away from the grand reception attended by nearly 1,800 guests. Pakistani government and cricket board officials and current cricketers also ducked the invitations that were also sent to Musharraf, Aziz and Muslim League leader Chaudhry Shaujaat Hussain.
"They have stayed away for obvious reasons and I don't think they need to elaborated," a close aide of Javed Miandad said.
Miandad's long-time teammate and cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan also failed to make an appearance despite being in the city and after having told media earlier in the day that he would grace the occasion.
Nevertheless, former test cricketers and sports icons, ex-cricket board officials, a large contingent of the media, prominent businessmen, retired government and civil servants and celebrities from showbiz gathered to bless the newly-wed couple who made their appearance at 11.00 pm - almost 90 minutes behind schedule.
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