As Imran Khan takes office, military looms over plan for 'New Pakistan'

When Pakistan installs Imran Khan as its new prime minister Saturday, the cricket star-turned-populist politician will be wearing an old sherwani, or traditional coat-length garment.

As part of his bid to demonstrate frugality and a new path for Pakistan’s leadership, Mr. Khan plans to forego the crisp new sherwani traditionally crafted for the ceremonial swearing-in by one of Islamabad’s go-to tailors to the political elite.

The gesture seems to fit a politician who ran on a slogan of “New Pakistan,” and attracted the support of down-on-politics millennials and a besieged middle class by promising an end to the country’s rife corruption, nepotism, and political-party patronage.

But wearing a used garment to take the oath of office is likely to be the easiest, if not one of the only, innovative and tradition-shattering steps the mold-breaking