Don’t dodge questions, show receipts, Maryam tells Imran

LAHORE: Leaders of the ruling coalition also berated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday after a Dubai-based businessman revealed that he had purchased the Toshakhana gifts from Farah Khan, a close friend of former premier’s wife, Bushra Bibi.

Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) Vice President Maryam Nawaz asked Khan to not dodge the questions and provide receipts for the sale of the gifts. “Who was sold the watch, tell me the name. How was the money transferred to Pakistan,” the PMLN leader said, adding that the PTI chief, who termed others thieves, had turned out to be the “biggest thief”.

Minister for Defence Khawaja Mohammad Asif said on Wednesday that PTI Chairman Imran Khan wants the issue of his corruption, exposed in Toshakhana, to be swept under the carpet amid political uproar. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, he said former PM levelled allegations of external conspiracy and now backtracked on his accusation. He said the country’s economic condition was not good and such statements also affect external circumstances, adding that this man [Imran Khan] tried his best to bankrupt Pakistan.

Kh Asif said the PTI chairman sold watch in Dubai and his corruption and irregularities were not new, adding that record corruption was committed during Imran Khan’s government. He said Imran Khan must face a transparent probe for selling the Toshakhana gifts. He said his news conference intended to narrate the facts before the nation to provide the background for the recent scandal of Imran Khan.

Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb criticised Khan, asking him to decide when he would approach the court and announce a date for it. She asked the PTI chief if he received the wristwatch worth Rs20 million and sold it for Rs280 million. “Did Farah Gogi bring the money? Was the money declared?”

Marriyum asked the former prime minister to share the receipts of the gift on Twitter as well. “Imran Khan’s handlers — Farah Gogi and Shahzad Akbar — have been caught,” she added. She said that Khan levels false allegations against others, and when he gets caught red-handed, he terms them “baseless allegations”.

The minister said that Khan did not respond to any notice of the Toshakhana case nor did he join any investigation. Marriyum Aurangzeb said the PTI chief was a non-entity in the current political scenario. In a comment on her twitter handle about Imran’s backtracking on the army chief’s appointment, she asked, “Who are you?”

She said Imran had no role in the entire process for appointment of the army chief. It was just a political statement, devoid of any reality, she said while referring to the PTI chief’s interaction with senior journalists and anchorpersons.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Attaullah Tarar hinted that the government would start criminal proceedings against Imran Khan in the Toshakhana case as per the order of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

“It is the only watch got prepared by the Saudi Crown Prince for gifting to Pakistan, so its price can’t be matched with other ones. Its unique dial is of Khana Ka’aba (Baitullah Sharif) shape,” he said while showing documentary evidence of the gift’s details and the price evaluation.

He said as per rules, any gift received from abroad was first deposited in the Toshakhana and later on another procedure of market evaluation was carried out if the recipient wanted to keep it. “But nothing such thing happened in this case.”

However, he said, as per the market evaluation that had been carried out in a thorough professional and technical way, its price stood at around $12 million, almost Rs1.7 billion at that time and now Rs2 billion.

The special assistant also said Khan bought the watch set at Rs20 million only, without adopting the laid down procedure. “And now, he [Imran] has confessed to committing two crimes which are buying and selling it.”