ISLAMABAD:
A local court in Islamabad on Wednesday fixed Toshakhana case for hearing on Thursday and also served notice to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan for appearance in personal capacity.
Additional District and Session Judge Hamayun Dilawar would take up the case for hearing tomorrow.
Previously, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had directed the trial court to re-decide the maintainability of the Toshakhana case within seven days after hearing the PTI chairman.
Imran Khan had challenged the admissibility of the case before the IHC which set aside the verdict of the trial court. The IHC bench had stated that the trial court had dismissed the petition of the former prime minister on weak grounds.
The bench asked the lower court to consider the petition of the PTI chairman as pending.
Toshakhana reference
Official documents revealed in April that Imran and his wife had retained 52 free gifts worth millions “without paying a single penny”.
Read more: Govt makes 21-year record of Toshakhana public
The list of Toshakhana gifts received by the ex-PM between August 2018 and December 2021 had remained a secret during his tenure, making the situation scandalous to reports of hiding the information from the tax authorities.
The Toshakhana is a department under the Cabinet Division which maintains the record of the precious gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, and officials by heads of other governments, states, and foreign dignitaries as a goodwill gesture.
The then government had adopted the stance that the disclosure of any information related to Toshakhana would ‘jeopardise international ties’.
The list of gifts showed that the other valuables were kept by the couple after paying a meagre amount, much less than the assessed value.
From seven luxurious Rolex and other expensive watches to gold and diamond jewellery including multiple necklaces, bracelets, rings, multiple diamond chains, an expensive pen and cufflinks worth millions, dinner sets, perfumes, and Oud fragrance, the couple retained everything that different states of the world were gifting to Pakistan.
The most precious gift was presented by Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman during the very first visit of Imran to the kingdom. However, to the irony, the Rs85 million Graff wristwatch was retained by the former prime minister by paying only Rs20 million.
Source link: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2424828/imran-khan-summoned-in-toshakhana-case