Pakistan: PTI to contest Election Commission’s verdict on Imran Khan’s disqualification in court

Islamabad [Pakistan], October 21 (ANI): The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday decided to challenge the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) verdict in the Toshakhana case, which disqualified its chief and former Prime Minister Imran Khan and ruled that he is no more a Member of National Assembly.
In the reference, it was said that Imran Khan did not mention the gifts taken from Toshakhana and the amount recieved from the sale of these gifts in his assets, reported The Nation.
Earlier in April, the former Prime Minister, while talking about the aforementioned during an informal media interaction, said that these were his gifts and it was his choice whether to keep them or not.
The ECP stated that Imran Khan submitted a false affidavit and was found involved in corrupt practices, Geo News reported.
Earlier on September 19, in the Toshakhana case hearing, Imran Khan’s counsel Ali Zafar admitted that his client had sold at least four presents he had received during 2018-19.
“The gifts were sold for Rs 58 million and their receipts were enclosed with the income tax returns filed by my client,” the lawyer apprised the ECP.
Meanwhile, in August, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) filed the reference claiming that Khan had paid for only some items that he took home from the ‘Toshakhana’, but most items that he took from the government treasure house were 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, reported Geo news.
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.
Last month, 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.
In April this year, PM Shehbaz Sharif accused his predecessor Imran Khan of selling Toshakhana gifts worth PKR 140 million in Dubai.
“Imran Khan sold these gifts for PKR 140 million in Dubai,” Shehbaz had said.
He said that the expensive gifts included diamond jewellery sets, bracelets and wristwatches.
Shehbaz’s revelation came in response to a question regarding a petition seeking the details of the Toshakhana that had been filed in the Islamabad High Court on which then PM Imran Khan had commented that the details cannot be revealed as per the Official Secrets Act, 1923. (ANI)