ISLAMABAD, May 20: It will be a state dinner for Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday evening but it will be held at Sarena hotel, instead of at the Prime Minister’s House, apparently for the comfort of PML-N leaders.

A senior member of the ruling party told Dawn that the banquet was being deliberately held in a hotel for the sake of PML-N leaders.

At a time when the PML-N is refusing to accept Yousuf Raza Gilani as legitimate prime minister asking its leaders to attend the banquet at the Prime Minister’s House would not make sense, said the PPP leader.

“I believe, it’s a good move by Mr Gilani to invite leaders of political parties in a hotel, instead of at the Prime Minister’s house which, according to some of them, is illegally occupied by him after his conviction by the Supreme Court.

He said he didn’t know exactly but usually on such occasions opinion of the ambassador concerned was sought.

Therefore, he said, after weighing all the options it was decided to go for a neutral venue, not giving any excuse to PML-N leaders or heads of other opposi-tion parties to avoid the banquet.

PML-N’s spokesperson Senator Mushahiddullah Khan was unaware of the plan of his leadership or whether or not Mian Nawaz Sharif would attend the dinner.

“I am not in touch with Mian saheb at the moment and really don’t know about his programme,” said Senator Khan.Senator Pervez Rashid, who is spokesperson for the PML-N government in Punjab, refused to comment. “I have no information about it,” he said.

However, another PML-N leader said it would not be easy for the party leadership to stay away from the banquet.

According to the media wing of the prime minister’s secretariat, invitation cards have been sent to heads of all political parties both inside and outside the parliament for the dinner being hosted in honour of Mr Erdogan.

The invitation has also been sent to provincial governors and chief ministers.