PTI Chairman Imran Khan Faces Another NAB Case on Toshakhana Gifts
According to emerging reports, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former prime minister Imran Khan is in hot soup again. He allegedly unlawfully acquired or gifted away seven watches from Toshakhana.
New Allegations
According to Dawn News, the inquiry report states that the new case involves the illegal possession and disposal of 10 valuable gifts, including a Graff watch, a set of Rolex watches, and diamond and gold sets.
Details from the Report: ToshaKhana Gifts case
The report reveals that they sold the gifts without legally acquiring them as personal property. They sold the Graff watch set without returning it, and the buyer benefited from collusion between him and the appraiser.
Manipulation in Appraisal
Before getting an email from Toshakhana showing that this appraiser had undervalued it by 30 million rupees, a Graff watch valued at 100.92 million rupees, 20% of which came back to government records (20.18 million rupees).
Previous Conviction
An accountability court in Islamabad convicted Imran Khan on January 31st for not declaring income from selling Toshakhana gifts. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison along with his wife, Bushra Bibi. Judge Muhammad Bashir also disqualified them from contesting any public office for ten years and fined them Rs78.7m.
Appeals and Release
Imran Khan appealed convictions related to cypher, Toshakhana, and marriage cases. The Islamabad High Court directed NAB to respond by February 26th on the appeal against convictions in the Toshakhana case. Though his sentence in this case was suspended on August 29th, he was still imprisoned for other crimes.
Toshakhana Reference
According to a reference from the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Election Commission of Pakistan (Ehe CP) announced Imran Khan’s disqualification. He was said not to have declared income from selling Toshakhana gifts as assets.
Constitutional Grounds
The reference was made under Article 63, asking for disqualification under Article 62(1)(f). During the hearing, Imran Khan’s lawyer argued that it was a judicial prerogative, not a court.
Imran Khan’s Response: ToshaKhana Gifts case
In his written reply on September 7th, Imran Khan stated that he got 58 presents from August 1st, 2018, to December 31st, 2021. Most gifts were flower vases, table covers, decorative pieces, and paperweights; fourteen valued over Rs30k.
Admission to Selling Gifts
During his tenure as Prime minister, Imran Khan sold four gifts that earned him around Rs58m after he gave back Rs21.6m to the government treasury. These included a watch, cufflinks, a pen and ring, and four Rolex watches.
ECP Decision
On October 21st, 2022, ECP disqualified him under Article 63 (1)(p) of the Constitution. The disqualification will last until the completion of this current assembly term. Consequently, he was also deseated from the National Assembly.
