Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has been disqualified from holding public office for ‘unlawfully’ selling state gifts received by him from foreign leaders.
Dawn reports that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Khan has been barred for five years by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) under Article 63(1)(p) of the country’s Constitution for ‘misdeclaration’ in the Toshakhana case.
As per Article 63 (1) (p), an individual is, “for the time being, disqualified from being elected or chosen as a member of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) or of a provincial assembly under any law for the time being in force”, reports Dawn.
What is the Toshakhana controversy? What does ECP’s ruling mean for Imran Khan? What has the political reaction been to the ruling? We explain.
The Toshakhana case against Imran Khan
Imran Khan found himself in the middle of a controversy when his rival Pakistan Democratic Movement- the current ruling alliance in the country- complained to the election commission that the PTI chief failed to declare some gifts bestowed upon him by rulers from foreign nations, or the profit obtained from selling them.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif claimed in April this year that his predecessor sold state gifts worth Rs 140 million in Dubai.
“I can confirm that Imran Khan took gifts from Toshakhana and sold them in Dubai for Rs 140 million (USD 7.6 lakh). Valuable gifts include diamond jewellery, bracelets, watches and sets,” Sharif had alleged.
As per Geo News, responding to the allegations, the ousted prime minister of Pakistan had replied: “Mera tohfa, meri marzi (my gift, my choice)”.
He had also said that whatever items he had purchased from Toshakhana, the state depository, were “on record”.
“I deposited a gift sent by a president at my residence. Whatever I took from Toshakana is on record. I purchased the gifts after paying 50 per cent of the cost,” the PTI chief said, as per Geo News.
Under Pakistan’s law, any gift of a specific value received from foreign dignitaries must be kept in the Toshakhana.
“However, an official is also allowed to keep these gifts provided he pays a certain percentage of the price assessed by the Toshakhana evaluation committee,” says Dawn.
Khan, during his three-and-a-half-year tenure as the Pakistan premier before being ousted through a no-confidence motion in April this year, reportedly earned Rs 36 million by ‘illegally’ selling three watches to a local watch dealer that were gifted to him by foreign dignitaries visiting from friendly Gulf nations.
Geo News reported in June 2022 that the then-prime minister earned millions of rupees from these luxury watches worth over Rs 154 million. The most expensive watch, valued at Rs 101 million value, was retained by Khan at 20 per cent of its value, as per reports.
In December 2018, Khan’s government revised the rules which now mandated payment of 50 per cent of the value to retain the gift instead of the earlier 20 per cent, as per MM News.
Imran Khan was accused of illegally selling state gifts received by him from foreign leaders. AP File Photo
According to the rules, the gifts received by Pakistan government officials have to be reported immediately in order to assess their value. The gift recipient is allowed to retain it by paying a specific amount only after they are deposited in Toshakhana.
As per the news agency PTI, the gifts received by Khan were never submitted to the state depository.
The former premier reportedly received 58 gifts worth over Rs 140 million from global leaders during his stint at the top job and retained all of them either by ‘paying a negligible amount or even without any payment’.
Imran Khan had earlier denied sharing the details of the gifts received, saying that it would harm international ties. Later, in a written reply to the election commission on 8 September, he accepted he sold at least four presents, Dawn reported.
What happens to Imran Khan now?
The ECP in its ruling today said Khan made a “false statement and incorrect declaration before the Commission in the statement of assets and liabilities filed by him for the year 2020-21”, as per Dawn.
Thus, the cricketer-turned-politician “ceases to be a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan and his seat has become vacant accordingly”, Dawn cited ECP’s order as saying.
National Assembly is Pakistan’s lower House of Parliament.
With this, by-polls could be held on the now vacant seat.
Reacting to the verdict, Imran Khan’s lawyer, Gohar Khan, told AFP, “The ECP has declared Imran Khan was involved in corrupt practices.”
Imran Khan’s lawyer said they will challenge the ruling in the court. AP File Photo
The lawyer added that they will challenge the five-year ban in the Islamabad High Court.
The significant verdict comes amid the PTI chief’s warning that he would march to Islamabad if the Sharif government fails to announce the date for the next general elections.
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Reactions to ban on Imran Khan
Soon after the verdict, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry urged people to come out of their homes “for their rights”.
Calling the ECP’s ruling a “slap on the face of 220 million people”, he said, “today is the beginning of the revolution”, Dawn reported.
Further, he alleged that today’s verdict was “written by Nawaz Sharif and signed by his servants”.
Another Khan’s party leader Shahbaz Gill said they would approach “every forum” against the verdict.
“Imran has been disqualified from just one seat, not politics,” he was quoted as saying by Dawn.
Pakistan PM Sharif said the ECP has “delivered” justice. “The nation has seen that the post of prime minister was made a source of personal income through corrupt practices. The idol of “sadiq and ameen” has been shattered,” he said in a tweet, as per Dawn.
He also asked Khan to accept the ruling.
Pakistan foreign minister, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, hit out at the former Pakistan prime minister over the verdict. The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman tweeted, “He now stands disqualified. He who would spread lies about alleged corruption of his political opponents has been caught red-handed.”
PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz called Khan “Pakistan’s first certified liar”.
“Pakistan’s first certified liar and certified thief disqualified with irrefutable evidence of theft,” Nawaz wrote in a tweet.
With inputs from agencies
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