A local court of Islamabad on Monday reserved its decision on the maintainability of plea filed by Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) seeking criminal proceedings against PTI’s Chief Imran Khan with regard to the Toshakhana scam.
District and Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal heard the case filed by District Election Commissioner Islamabad through Saad Hassan.
The petitioner’s lawyer argued that it was a common opinion that Imran Khan had sold out the gifted watches after receiving these from the Toshakhana.
“According to the media, Imran Khan had stated that he had spent this money for the construction of a road,” he added.
The lawyer said that the former prime minister could get the Toshakhana gifts after paying 20% of its cost till December 18, 2018. After this, new rules were introduced according to which it was compulsory to pay 50% payment of the total value of any gift.
The lawyer further said that the value of the said watch was estimated as Rs 85 million. Imran Khan had failed to tell that against what price this watch was sold out, he contended.
The case was not about the said watch instead it was about the assets details filed by the former prime minister, the lawyer added.
Imran Khan and his wife had received 58 gifts worth Rs142 millions from the Toshakhana.
The lawyer added that it was a criminal act if one didn’t declare his assets before ECP, adding that the PTI chief had not disclosed these gifts in his assets details as he didn’t wanted to make it public.
The petitioner’s counsel further said that Imran Khan had used a way like money laundering in Toshakhana matter. The former prime minister was bound to tell that how he had treated the gifts.
He contended that Imran Khan had hidden the tax worth Rs11 millions but this matter was related to the tax authorities. The tax returns of PTI chief submitted in 2018-19 and 2019-20 were ambiguous, he added. After listening the arguments, the court reserved the verdict on the maintainability of the petition.
