Former Pakistan PM denies allegations he illegally sold items given to him by Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman
The former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has been accused of corruption and illegally selling for $2m (1.7m) a unique antique watch, gold pen, ring, and cufflinks given to him by the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman.
On Tuesday, a Dubai-based businessman, Farooq Zahoor, claimed on Pakistan’s Geo News that he purchased the gifts in cash from a close friend of the former premier in 2019 in the United Arab Emirates.
Khan denies the allegations and says they are part of a campaign to malign him. He has vowed to sue the journalist, the media network and Zahoor in courts in London and the UAE for their “character assassination”, saying he had no hope in Pakistan’s justice system.
The sale of state gifts by Khan, known as the Toshakhana issue, became a national political scandal after the election commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified and barred him from elections for five years and accused him of “false statements and incorrect declarations” about gifts he received from foreign leaders while in power.
During the Mughal era, Toshakhana referred to the “treasure houses” kept by the subcontinent’s princely rulers to store and display gifts lavished on them. The name is now given to a government department where the gifts given to state officials are kept.
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