Pakistan's election commission on Friday disqualified former Prime Minister Imran Khan from holding public office over charges of unlawfully selling state gifts received from heads of other nations and foreign dignitaries, local media reported. After the consensus ruling by a four-member bench headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman cannot become a member of the parliament for five years. The decision was taken unanimously by the five-member bench. However, the member from Punjab was not present for the announcement.
Asad Umar, Secretary General of Khan’s party, announced that the decision would be challenged in the Islamabad High Court.Fawad Chaudhry, another PTI leader, rejected the verdict and asked Khan’s followers to stage protests. Khan, who came to power in 2018, apparently received expensive gifts from rich Arab rulers during official visits, which were deposited in the Toshakhana. Later, he bought the same at a discounted price as per the relevant laws and sold the same at hefty profits.
The former premier informed the ECP during the hearing that the sale of the gifts that he had procured from the state treasury after paying Rs 21.56 million fetched about Rs 58 million. The gifts, among others, included a Graff wristwatch, a pair of cufflinks, an expensive pen, a ring and four Rolex watches. According to his opponents, Khan failed to show the sales in the income tax returns, making him liable. The case filed with the ECP seeks his disqualification under Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution which suggests disqualification if someone is not truthful. Established in 1974, the Toshakhana is a department under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division and stores precious gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats, and officials by heads of other governments and states and foreign dignitaries.