Imran Khan (Photo: Bloomberg)
It comes just a day after Khan and his foreign minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, were sentenced to 10 years in prison for the breach of state secrets. The judgement, announced in a trial at the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, comes just over a week before Pakistan is scheduled to hold general elections on February 8.
Earlier this month, Pakistan’s anti-corruption court had indicted Khan and Bibi in the Toshakhana graft case filed against them by the anti-corruption watchdog National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
Khan is currently in jail for the Al-Qadir Trust case.
What is the Toshakhana case?
In August 2022, Pakistan’s coalition government, led by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), filed a case against Khan, claiming that he did not disclose the complete information on gifts presented to Toshakhana. He also hid the details about proceeds from the “illegal” sale of some gifts.
Toshakhana is a department under the cabinet division in Pakistan that stores gifts and other valuables received by officials. The officials must report all the gifts they receive to the department.
In 2018, Khan received several gifts during his time as the prime minister of Pakistan. However, he did not disclose the details of many of such presents, stating that it would impact relations with other countries.
Pakistan’s information minister, Marriyum Aurangzeb, claimed that Khan paid 20 per cent retention money and made PKR 142 million by selling state gifts from the Toshakhana.
In a written reply submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on September 8, 2023, Khan admitted to selling at least four presents he had received during his tenure as the prime minister.
Khan added that he procured the gifts from the state treasury after paying PKR 21 million. He sold them for PKR 58 million. The gifts were a graff wristwatch, a pair of cufflinks, an expensive pen and a ring, while the other three included four Rolex watches.
Later, in October last year, ECP found Khan guilty and disqualified him from the assembly for five years.
On February 28, 2023, Khan was to be indicted in the case, but his lawyers requested to exempt him from the hearing. However, the judge rejected the plea and issued a non-bailable warrant against Khan. The arrest was attempted, but the Police could not find him at his residence.
After the Police left, Khan addressed the party workers from his residence, saying, “I bow only in front of god and no other power or institution…This is our war for real freedom.” He also blamed Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif and his government for sweeping corruption.
He also demanded a “public trial” in the Toshakhana case.
Soon, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority barred television channels from airing Khan’s speeches. It accused Khan of “baseless accusations and spreading hate speech” against state institutions and officers.
Khan’s actions are “prejudicial to the maintenance of law and order and are likely to disturb public peace and tranquillity”, the authority said.
First Published: Jan 31 2024 | 11:08 AM IST
