| Gifts received from foreign states and sold by ex-PM include cufflinks, a watch, necklace and ring | What crime or irregularity is involved in buying and selling gifts, asks Fawad | Marriyum says Imran bought gifts from Toshakhana by paying Rs20m but sold it for Rs180 million
ISLAMABAD - The mystery surrounding the Toshakhana scandal involving former prime minister Imran Khan came to an end on Friday as the PML-N led federal government came out in the open alleging that PTI chief Imran Khan pocketed millions of dollars by purchasing costly gifts from the state gift depository at concessional prices and then selling the same in Dubai to get hefty amount.
Though Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry in his response said that no illegality was committed by purchasing gifts from Toshakhana at nominal rates and selling the same in the open market, the rules of the Cabinet Division clearly state that gross violation of law had been allegedly committed by retaining the gifts by former PM.
Toshakhana is the federal government’s treasure-house that falls under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division and keeps gifts received by the prime minister, ministers and other government officials from foreign heads of states and foreign dignitaries.
It was the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif himself who during his interaction with journalists confirmed that former PM Khan had retained costly gifts, received from foreign states, including a watch, a necklace and a ring against a very nominal amount and sold the same in Dubai. “He (former PM) bought cufflinks, a ring and a watch for Rs 20 million from Toshakhana (state gift depository) and sold it for Rs180 million in the market,” said the ruling party spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb while talking to reporters. She said that the gifts had a total value of Rs 140 million when these were retained at a low price against the actual one by the former prime minister.
The Toshakhana rules notified by the Cabinet Division on December 18, 2018 clearly say that the recipient (prime minister, ministers and other state functionaries) can retain gifts, free of cost, up to a monetary value of Rs 30,000 only. “Gifts valued above Rs 30,000 may be allowed to be retained by the recipient on payment of 50 % of the value,” says Rule 6.
If the claim of the incumbent government is true, the rule clearly explains that the former PM allegedly made a violation of the law by retaining the gifts at an amount of Rs 20 million against its actual value of Rs 140 million.
The last PTI-led government had been showing reluctance to make public details of foreign gifts, office under the Right of Access to Information Act 2017, received by then PM Khan since August 2018 when he assumed office. Then government had approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against an order of the Pakistan Information Commission (PIC) asking for public details of the gifts.
The government in its response to the commission had said that the disclosure of any information related to Toshakhana would affect inter-state relations— a plea that was outrightly rejected by the PIC in its judgement authored by Federal Information Commissioner Zahid Abdullah.
Earlier, some unconfirmed media reports had suggested that former PM Khan had received the expensive gifts from some rulers of Arab countries and his decision to sell them in the Dubai market had annoyed the foreign dignitaries.
Marriyum Aurangzeb in her media talk also said that many other costly gifts including a gold-plated Kalashnikov, gift given by a foreign country, was also missing from the record of Toshakhana and it would be recovered from Bani Gala— a reference of the palatial residence of Chairman PTI Khan.
Talking to at least two TV channels, former information minister and PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry did not deny the allegation and questioned what illegality was committed by the former PM if he bought a watch gifted by a foreign country from Toshakhana and went abroad and sold it in the market. “What crime has been committed or irregularity was involved in this,” he said.
PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz took to Twitter to say that the real story is how the former prime minister managed to get the money to buy the costly gifts as he had no source of income except his salary while in office.
Fawad Chaudhry also alleged that the government tried to steal the record of the NAB on the very first day of its coming into power. “Now FIA record is being tampered with,” he said while talking to the media here and added that the accused were trying to spoil the evidence in the cases.
PML-N leader Marriyum Aurangzeb says government will continue public welfare projects of Langar Khana, Benazir Income Support Programme and Sehat card scheme. Talking to media in Islamabad on Friday, she said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif does not believe in politics of revenge and all programs related to public welfare will be expanded. She said previous government used institutions to take revenge from rival political parties. Marriyum Aurangzeb said government will hold accountable the people responsible who sold precious gifts from Toshakhana. She refuted the claim of PTI leader Chaudhry Fawad Hussain regarding record theft from FIA.
ISLAMABAD - The mystery surrounding the Toshakhana scandal involving former prime minister Imran Khan came to an end on Friday as the PML-N led federal government came out in the open alleging that PTI chief Imran Khan pocketed millions of dollars by purchasing costly gifts from the state gift depository at concessional prices and then selling the same in Dubai to get hefty amount.
Though Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry in his response said that no illegality was committed by purchasing gifts from Toshakhana at nominal rates and selling the same in the open market, the rules of the Cabinet Division clearly state that gross violation of law had been allegedly committed by retaining the gifts by former PM.
Toshakhana is the federal government’s treasure-house that falls under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division and keeps gifts received by the prime minister, ministers and other government officials from foreign heads of states and foreign dignitaries.
It was the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif himself who during his interaction with journalists confirmed that former PM Khan had retained costly gifts, received from foreign states, including a watch, a necklace and a ring against a very nominal amount and sold the same in Dubai. “He (former PM) bought cufflinks, a ring and a watch for Rs 20 million from Toshakhana (state gift depository) and sold it for Rs180 million in the market,” said the ruling party spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb while talking to reporters. She said that the gifts had a total value of Rs 140 million when these were retained at a low price against the actual one by the former prime minister.
The Toshakhana rules notified by the Cabinet Division on December 18, 2018 clearly say that the recipient (prime minister, ministers and other state functionaries) can retain gifts, free of cost, up to a monetary value of Rs 30,000 only. “Gifts valued above Rs 30,000 may be allowed to be retained by the recipient on payment of 50 % of the value,” says Rule 6.
If the claim of the incumbent government is true, the rule clearly explains that the former PM allegedly made a violation of the law by retaining the gifts at an amount of Rs 20 million against its actual value of Rs 140 million.
The last PTI-led government had been showing reluctance to make public details of foreign gifts, office under the Right of Access to Information Act 2017, received by then PM Khan since August 2018 when he assumed office. Then government had approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against an order of the Pakistan Information Commission (PIC) asking for public details of the gifts.
The government in its response to the commission had said that the disclosure of any information related to Toshakhana would affect inter-state relations— a plea that was outrightly rejected by the PIC in its judgement authored by Federal Information Commissioner Zahid Abdullah.
Earlier, some unconfirmed media reports had suggested that former PM Khan had received the expensive gifts from some rulers of Arab countries and his decision to sell them in the Dubai market had annoyed the foreign dignitaries.
Marriyum Aurangzeb in her media talk also said that many other costly gifts including a gold-plated Kalashnikov, gift given by a foreign country, was also missing from the record of Toshakhana and it would be recovered from Bani Gala— a reference of the palatial residence of Chairman PTI Khan.
Talking to at least two TV channels, former information minister and PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry did not deny the allegation and questioned what illegality was committed by the former PM if he bought a watch gifted by a foreign country from Toshakhana and went abroad and sold it in the market. “What crime has been committed or irregularity was involved in this,” he said.
PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz took to Twitter to say that the real story is how the former prime minister managed to get the money to buy the costly gifts as he had no source of income except his salary while in office.
Fawad Chaudhry also alleged that the government tried to steal the record of the NAB on the very first day of its coming into power. “Now FIA record is being tampered with,” he said while talking to the media here and added that the accused were trying to spoil the evidence in the cases.
PML-N leader Marriyum Aurangzeb says government will continue public welfare projects of Langar Khana, Benazir Income Support Programme and Sehat card scheme. Talking to media in Islamabad on Friday, she said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif does not believe in politics of revenge and all programs related to public welfare will be expanded. She said previous government used institutions to take revenge from rival political parties. Marriyum Aurangzeb said government will hold accountable the people responsible who sold precious gifts from Toshakhana. She refuted the claim of PTI leader Chaudhry Fawad Hussain regarding record theft from FIA.
