Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan sold four foreign gifts: Report

Islamabad [Pakistan], September 8 (ANI): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan has admitted that he has sold out four foreign presents that he had recieved during his tenure as the Prime Minister of the country, local media reported.
On Wednesday, Khan submitted a response to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in the Toshakhana case against him, Dawn newspaper reported.
PTI chief maintained that the sale of the gifts that he had procured from the state treasury after paying PKR 21.56 million fetched about PKR 58 million.
According to the publication, one of the gifts included a graff wristwatch, a pair of cuff links, an expensive pen and a ring while the other three gifts included four Rolex watches.
Dawn reported that Imran Khan received a total of 31 gifts from July 2018 to June 2019, and paid for only four as under the rules any gift below the assessed value of PKR 30,000 can be retained without any payment.
Earlier in April, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) filed the reference claiming that Khan had paid for only some items that he took home from the ‘Toshkhana’, but most items that he took from the government treasure-house was done so without paying for them.
In the reference, it was alleged that Khan did not disclose the gifts he took and concealed the information in his statements.
Reportedly, gifts received by government officials are to be reported immediately, to enable their value to be assessed. Only after an assessment is conducted can the recipient take away the gift, if he wants to keep it, after depositing a specific amount.
These gifts either remain deposited in the Toshakhana or can be auctioned and the money acquired through it is to be deposited into the national treasury.
In July, the former Pakistan Prime Minister sold three expensive watches from the government treasure-house collectively worth more than 154 million Pakistani rupees (PKR) to a local watch dealer, media reports said.
Imran Khan reportedly earned millions of rupees from these jewel-class watches gifted to him by foreign dignitaries, The News International newspaper reported.
The most expensive watch worth over Pkr 101 million was retained by Khan at 20 per cent of its value after his PTI government amended the rules and settled the gift retention price at 50 per cent of its original value.
The PTI chief first sold the watches and then deposited 20 per cent of each in the government treasury, the Pakistan daily said citing documents and sale receipts.
It added that these gifts worth millions of rupees were never deposited in Toshakhana.
While, the former prime minister, in response to the Toshakhana controversy during an informal media chat, had said those were his gifts and it was his choice whether or not to keep them. (ANI)