ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) brought a major relief to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan as it declared the criminal proceedings in the Toshakhana case against him as inadmissible.
Justice Aamir Farooq pronounced the reserved verdict on the deposed premier’s plea questioning the admissibility of the Toshakhana case in the IHC.
On June 23, after the completion of the arguments from both sides, the court reserved its verdict and adjourned the hearing until July 5.
During the hearing, Khawaja Haris, representing Imran Khan, argued that the complaint should not have been filed directly in the session court, emphasising that the appropriate forum for filing such a complaint is the Magistrate’s Court.
In a recent disclosure of official documents in April, it was revealed that former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife had retained a staggering 52 valuable gifts worth millions of rupees without paying a single penny.
The revelation of this secret list of gifts, which were received between August 2018 and December 2021, has sparked controversy and accusations of concealing information from tax authorities during Imran Khan’s tenure.
The Toshakhana, a department under the Cabinet Division responsible for maintaining records of precious gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, and officials by foreign heads of state and dignitaries, has been at the center of this scandal.
The government at the time had argued that revealing any information about the Toshakhana could potentially strain international relations.
The list of gifts exposes a wide array of luxurious items that the couple kept, paying only a fraction of their assessed value. Among the numerous items were seven exquisite Rolex watches, along with other expensive timepieces, gold and diamond jewelry comprising multiple necklaces, bracelets, rings, and diamond chains, an expensive pen, cufflinks worth millions, dinner sets, perfumes, and even an Oud fragrance.
The most valuable gift received was a remarkable Graff wristwatch worth Rs85 million, presented by Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman during Imran Khan’s first visit to the kingdom. Astonishingly, the former prime minister retained this extravagant timepiece by paying a mere Rs20 million, which raises eyebrows given its true worth.
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