Instead of depositing them in the government treasury, former Pak PM Imran Khan sold three watches received as gifts for Rupees15 crore

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Former ousted Pakistani Imran Khan has sold three watches worth 15 crores in Pakistani rupees to local dealers, an ongoing investigation revealed. Quoting official documents, The News has reported on Tuesday that one of three watches – one Rolex Platinum watch which he got as a gift from a royal family of a  Gulf country. Imran Khan sold it for a whopping sum of rupees 5 crore and 20 lakhs. </p>
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According to the report, in 2019, the then Prime Minister Imran Khan, did not submit these official gifts to the government treasury known as Toshkhana, which is mandatory according to the Pakistani Toshkhana Act. Instead, he first sold these watches in the open market on a huge profit, then deposited 20 percent of the cost value of each and pocketed the rest  which is an illegal act. But according to the rule which was amended by Khan’s government, the gift can be retained paying the 50 percent of cost instead of 20 percent. </p>
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Gifts are routinely exchanged between heads of states or officers holding constitutional positions during state visits. According to the gift depository (Toshakhana) rules, if a gift is to be retained, it is possible to do so if half the estimated cost is paid.</p>
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This is not the first time when Imran Khan was caught “off guard”  and has come under fire for selling gifts that he got from foreign heads of the government. In 2020, he was gifted a Rolex watch by the prince of Dubai, and after a few days the expensive watch was sold in the Dubai market for $1.8 million. Khan paid to the Toshkhana only $ 0.29 million, thereby earning a cool profit of $ 1.5 million. According to reports, the prince reportedly knew that the watch gifted to Khan was sold.</p>
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Khan’s penchant for earning profits from selling Toshakhana gifts came into limelight last year when a report of the Pandora Papers revealed that his close aides had stashed money in secret bank accounts in various tax havens abroad. </p>
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After Imran Khan was ousted from power this year in April, the new Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told the media that Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Begum have never deposited156 precious gifts to the Toshkhana which they received from the foreign dignities. </p>
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“Imran Khan sold some of these gifts for Rs140 million in Dubai, valuable gifts include diamond jewellery, bracelets, watches and sets," Geo TV quoted PM Shehbaz Sharif as saying.  The report also said that Khan even sold off a necklace for millions of rupees gifted by the first lady of Turkey during his visit to the country in 2019.</p>
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<strong>Also Read:</strong> <a href="https://www.indianarrative.com/world-news/pak-pm-shehbaz-sharif-accuses-imran-khan-of-corruption-says-ex-premier-sold-official-gifts-in-dubai-164485.html">Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif accuses Imran Khan of corruption—says -ex-Premier sold official gifts in Dubai</a></p>
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Last year, Khan was gifted a necklace by the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during his visit to the kingdom but it was never deposited in the Toshkhana. </p>
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An inquiry, initiated against former prime minister Imran Khan by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for selling a precious necklace from Toshakhana, inflicting a loss to the national exchequer, found that the necklace was sold to a jeweller in Lahore through a former assistant of Khan,  Zulfi Bukhari for Rs180 million, while only a fraction of that amount was paid to the Toshakhana. So far, the FIA has filed four FIRs against Khan. </p>
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When in power, Imran Khan refused to make public details of gifts given to him by foreign heads of states, asserting that the disclosure can damage the country’s national interest and its relations with other states. When the Pakistan Information Commission sought details from Khan, his government challenged the matter in Islamabad High Court, arguing that details of the gifts received by the prime minister have been designated as “classified” the government was "maintaining secrecy" over details of gifts received by Prime Minister Khan from other heads of states as releasing their lists and "comparing them with those of other countries is considered inappropriate, especially by Islamic countries with whom Pakistan enjoys brotherly relations".</p>
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But in April the court  ordered the Shehbaz Sharif government to make public details of the gifts received by the former Prime Minister Imran Khan from foreign dignitaries since assuming office in August 2018.</p>
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"Mera tohfa, meri marzi (my gift, my choice)," Geo TV quoted Khan as saying when he was asked.  </p>
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<strong>Also Read:</strong> <a href="https://www.indianarrative.com/world-news/imran-khan-booked-for-selling-necklace-received-as-state-gift-from-saudi-royals-163968.html">Imran Khan booked for selling necklace received as state gift from Saudi Royals</a></p>