On Friday, the Election Commission of Pakistan disqualified former Pakistan PM Imran Khan from Parliament for submitting fake statements in the Toshakhana case. The judgment was pronounced at the ECP Secretariat in Islamabad by a four-member bench led by Pakistan’s Chief Election Commissioner, Sikander Sultan Raja.
Khan has been disqualified for five years and as per the verdict, he will soon face criminal charges for misdeclaration.
According to the reports, this is after parliamentarians from the governing coalition government in August filed a lawsuit with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) seeking Khan’s disqualification for failing to declare the earnings from the sale of presents acquired at a discounted price from the state repository, also known as Toshakhana. After hearing the case, the ECP reserved its decision on September 19 at the conclusion of the hearings.
Big development from Pakistan. Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan for gross corrupt practices. Imran Khan was accused of misleading officials about the gifts he received from foreign when he was in office. Toshkhana Reference Case.
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) October 21, 2022
The Election Commission summoned all relevant parties or their representatives to appear before the election authority at its office in Islamabad. It also requested foolproof security within and outside the watchdog’s premises for the entire day to prevent any untoward occurrence. It further emphasized the need of completing all essential security procedures, particularly inside the ECP Secretariat building.
During the hearing, Khan informed the ECP that the sale of the gifts he obtained from the state treasury after paying Rs 21.56 million garnered around Rs 58 million. The ECP complaint sought his disqualification under Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution, which propose expulsion if someone lies. The election body also confirmed in its statement that Khan committed corrupt practices and didn’t disclose to authorities the money he earned from selling gifts given to him by various visiting foreign dignitaries.
Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has been mired in controversies ever since he was selected to the highest office in Pakistan. He has been accused of retaining gifts, received by the Office of the Prime Minister from other countries, either for free or at throwaway prices. As reported earlier, the controversies surrounding him only intensified after his removal from office in a no-confidence vote on April 10 this year.
Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi retained 112 valuables that were gifted to the PM’s Office between August 2018 and December 2021. The duo obtained 52 of the items worth PKR 800200 without ‘paying a single penny’. The former Pakistani Prime Minister retained the remaining 60 valuables worth over PKR 141 million by paying a total of PKR 38.17 million. Among the presents retained were a Graff wristwatch, cuff links, an expensive pen, a ring, and four Rolex watches.
The former Prime Minister was further accused of selling the Toshakhana gifts in Dubai. Current Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif and his party members including Marriyum Aurangzeb, and Ahsan Iqbal had further alleged that Khan had sold a watch, necklace, gold plated AK47 and a jeep and had failed to show the sales in the income tax returns. Also, in an exclusive report published by Fact Focus, it had come to light that Imran Khan earned more from Toshakhana gifts in 2 months than he did in the first 66 years of his life.
However, Khan had defended his actions by claiming that he had paid 50 percent of the value of the gifts. He conceded that he sold the Toshakhana valuables (which allegedly belonged to him) to repair the Bani Gala road (located next to his residence).
Notably, the Islamabad High Court had earlier noted that gifts received by the Office of the Prime Minister cannot be retained by him after vacating office. “Individuals come and go but the office of the Prime Minister of Pakistan is permanent. These gifts are not meant for taking home,” Justice Aurangzeb said adding that all such gifts must be recovered by the State if they have been retained.
