Toshakhana presents case: Pakistan EC disqualifies former PM Imran Khan for 5 years

On Friday, the Election Commission of Pakistan disqualified former Pakistan PM Imran Khan from Parliament for submitting pretend statements within the Toshakhana case. The judgment was pronounced on 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 5 years and as per the decision, he’ll quickly face prison prices for misdeclaration.

According to the reviews, that is after parliamentarians from the governing coalition authorities in August filed a lawsuit with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) searching for Khan’s disqualification for failing to declare the earnings from the sale of presents acquired at a reduced value from the state repository, also called Toshakhana. After listening to the case, the ECP reserved its resolution on September 19 on the conclusion of the hearings.

Big improvement from Pakistan. Former Pakistan PM Imran Khan disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan for gross corrupt practices. Imran Khan was accused of deceptive officers in regards to the presents he obtained from international when he was in workplace. Toshkhana Reference Case.

— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) October 21, 2022

The Election Commission summoned all related events or their representatives to seem earlier than the election authority at its workplace in Islamabad. It additionally requested foolproof safety inside and outdoors the watchdog’s premises for your entire day to forestall any untoward incidence. It additional emphasised the necessity of finishing all important safety procedures, notably contained in the ECP Secretariat constructing.

During the listening to, Khan knowledgeable the ECP that the sale of the presents he obtained from the state treasury after paying Rs 21.56 million garnered round Rs 58 million. The ECP criticism sought his disqualification underneath Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution, which suggest expulsion if somebody lies. The election physique additionally confirmed in its assertion that Khan dedicated corrupt practices and didn’t confide in authorities the cash he earned from promoting presents given to him by numerous visiting international dignitaries.

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has been mired in controversies ever since he was chosen to the best workplace in Pakistan. He has been accused of retaining presents, obtained by the Office of the Prime Minister from different international locations, both totally free or at throwaway costs. As reported earlier, the controversies surrounding him solely intensified after his elimination from workplace in a no-confidence vote on April 10 this yr.

Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi retained 112 valuables that had been gifted to the PM’s Office between August 2018 and December 2021. The duo obtained 52 of the gadgets value PKR 800200 with out ‘paying a single penny’. The former Pakistani Prime Minister retained the remaining 60 valuables value over PKR 141 million by paying a complete of PKR 38.17 million. Among the presents retained had been a Graff wristwatch, cuff hyperlinks, an costly pen, a hoop, and 4 Rolex watches.

The former Prime Minister was additional accused of promoting the Toshakhana presents in Dubai. Current Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif and his occasion members together with Marriyum Aurangzeb, and Ahsan Iqbal had additional alleged that Khan had offered a watch, necklace, gold plated AK47 and a jeep and had failed to point out the gross sales within the revenue tax returns. Also, in an unique report revealed by Fact Focus, it had come to mild that Imran Khan earned extra from Toshakhana presents in 2 months than he did within the first 66 years of his life.

However, Khan had defended his actions by claiming that he had paid 50 p.c of the worth of the presents. He conceded that he offered the Toshakhana valuables (which allegedly belonged to him) to restore the Bani Gala street (positioned subsequent to his residence).

Notably, the Islamabad High Court had earlier famous that presents obtained by the Office of the Prime Minister can’t be retained by him after vacating workplace. “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 stated including that each one such presents have to be recovered by the State if they’ve been retained.