A sessions court in Islamabad on Friday accepted Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan’s plea for personal exemption from the Toshakhana case proceedings and adjourned the hearing till July 8 (tomorrow). District and Sessions Judge Humayun Dilawar presided over the case, with Gohar Ali Khan serving as Imran’s legal counsel and Amjad Perviaz representing the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). At the outset of the hearing, the PTI chief’s lawyer Gohar submitted an exemption plea. However, the lawyer representing the Election Commission objected, claiming that Imran had four lawyers, causing unnecessary delays. Responding to the objection, Gohar Ali clarified that lawyer Amjad were merely attempting to score points, emphasizing that senior PTI lawyer Khawaja Haris serves as the chairman’s legal counsel.

 Furthermore, the lawyer representing PTI requested an adjournment of the hearing until July 10. In response, the ECP’s council accused Imran Khan’s legal team of employing delaying tactics, alleging that their intention was to avoid presenting arguments. He also stated that Khawaja Haris had no court engagements. Consequently, the court granted Imran Khan’s request for personal exemption from appearing on the scheduled date and adjourned the hearing until July 8. The court directed Khawaja Haris to be present before the court on the designated day. Toshakhana reference

 In a recent disclosure of official documents in April, it was revealed that former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife had retained a staggering 52 valuable gifts worth millions of rupees without paying a single penny. The revelation of this secret list of gifts, which were received between August 2018 and December 2021, has sparked controversy and accusations of concealing information from tax authorities during Imran Khan’s tenure. The Toshakhana, a department under the Cabinet Division responsible for maintaining records of precious gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, and officials by foreign heads of state and dignitaries, has been at the center of this scandal.

 The government at the time had argued that revealing any information about the Toshakhana could potentially strain international relations. The list of gifts exposes a wide array of luxurious items that the couple kept, paying only a fraction of their assessed value. Among the numerous items were seven exquisite Rolex watches, along with other expensive timepieces, gold and diamond jewelry comprising multiple necklaces, bracelets, rings, and diamond chains, an expensive pen, cufflinks worth millions, dinner sets, perfumes, and even an Oud fragrance.

 The most valuable gift received was a remarkable Graff wristwatch worth Rs85 million, presented by Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman during Imran Khan’s first visit to the kingdom. Astonishingly, the former prime minister retained this extravagant timepiece by paying a mere Rs20 million, which raises eyebrows given its true worth.

 
Credit : Independent News Pakistan-INP