World News | Pak ECP to Announce Verdict in Toshakhana Disqualification Case Against Ex-PM Imran on Friday

Islamabad, Oct 20 (PTI) Pakistan's election authorities on Thursday announced that the verdict in the Toshakhana disqualification case filed against former prime minister Imran Khan will be announced on Friday.

The ruling coalition government lawmakers filed a case with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in August against Khan, seeking his disqualification for failing to reveal the proceeds from the sale of gifts that he purchased at a discounted price from the state repository, also called Toshakhana.

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The ECP, after hearing the case, reserved its judgment on September 19 at the conclusion of the proceedings.

According to a notification by the ECP, the verdict would be announced on Friday) at 2 pm local time. It ordered all the relevant parties or their counsels to appear before the electoral watchdog at its secretariat in Islamabad.

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It also sent a letter to the Islamabad police requesting “foolproof security” inside and outside the watchdog's premises for the full day in order to “avoid any untoward incident”, stressing that all necessary security arrangements be completed, particularly inside the ECP Secretariat building.

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.

Though morally apprehensive for rulers like Khan, who always takes a high moral ground and leaves no occasion to castigate his opponents as “corrupt”, the purchase and sale were legally allowed.

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.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)