ISLAMABAD: Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Narcotics Control Attaullah Tarar said former prime minister Imran Khan blatantly violated the rules of Cabinet Division on the matters related to Tosha Khana.
Addressing a news conference here Friday, the SAPM provided details related to the gifts conferred upon former First Lady by the heads of states of the friendly countries that were reportedly retained and bought in very meager amounts.
Tarar alleged that Khan under his so-called notion of “my watch my will” had committed an embezzlement, corruption and fraud of Rs 5 to 6 billion in buying those gifts through a self-orchestrated scheme.He added that these gifts were other than those watches and cufflinks sold to Umar Farooq.
The SAPM noted that the Cabinet Division rules were very clear that these gifts could be retained meaning these gifts were liable to be kept in possession and were not to be sold. “You are a third-class degree holder of Oxford University and don’t know its (retain) meaning?”, he queried while tongue in cheek to Imran Khan.
The first violation of the rules was that the Tosha Khana gifts could be retained only but were sold by Imran Khan.
In 2021, a Bvlgari set of women jewelries including a necklace, a pair of earrings, a ring, and bracelet studded with expensive stones were gifted by the head of state of a friendly country, he said.
The value, he added that being estimated of this Bvlgari set was $ 5 million (Rs 1.3 billion) whereas the assessment by Khan was made of Rs 5.8 million and only Rs 2.9 million were deposited in the national exchequer.
“I challenge if my estimates are wrong get it done by some international expert and check the veracity of Khan’s claims.”
The SAPM opined that these products were ‘made to order items’ for special gifts created of precious diamonds and stones. “These gifts by heads of states are priceless and these are things that have sentimental value as the heads of states give the most expensive gifts.”
The second gift was of Graff which was a company that deals in precious diamonds. A complete set of diamonds was gifted by the heads of a states including a necklace, a pair of earrings and a ring full of diamonds, he added.
“The price for this set is $15 million which is some Rs 3.38 billion in Pakistani currency. The diamond studded necklace and all other items, in this gift, each has a separate value due to the highly expensive stones used in it.”
However, he continued saying that Imran Khan set its price at Rs 18 million whereas a yellow diamond ring of Graff of 4.16 karate worth $985,000 but that given to the former first lady was of 10 karate.
“The Graff gift studded with yellow and white diamonds is above Rs 3 billion.”
Another gift from Trifoglio received from a head of the state in 2019 conferred on the ex-first lady included a locket with chain, a pair of ear tops, two bracelets and two rings. The undervalued prices of the gift worth approximately Rs 450 million were paid in the exchequer, he said and added, the value of the set was fixed at Rs1.1 million and only Rs 554,000 rupees were paid to retain the gift.
The Minister underlined that the Bvlgari set valued Rs 1.3 billion, that of Graff Rs 3.38 billion and of Trifoglio Rs 450 million.
Mr. Khan estimated only Rs 4.8 million for Trifoglio gift and paid Rs 2.3 million for it whereas the gift also included a set for him including a set of Rolex wrist watch of white gold and diamonds, a pen and cufflinks.
The price fixed for Rolex wristwatch of white gold studded with diamonds was completely wrong, he said, adding, a total amount of Rs 12.5 million have been paid for the gifts worth approximately Rs 5 billion.”
The Minister informed that the estimates for all the gifts were done by a local trader based on Sixth Road Taj Mahal Plaza in Rawalpindi who was consulted and brought to Prime Minister House to fix the prices of these gifts.
He only gave a hand-written receipt of the estimates that highlighted a big fraud, Tarar said.
The former premier and the ex-first lady did not bother to deposit those gifts in Cabinet Division or Tosha Khana rather. he kept it in personal possession. “This is divine justice what goes around comes around. Khan remained blind in the wrath of his political vendetta and ended up with him and his wife becoming embezzlers of billions of rupees.”
Khan, he said still had time to deposit these gifts in Tosha Khana whereas the fate of those items was unknown if not sold in black market as Farah Gogi used to do this business in Dubai.
The SAPM reported that these were not the only gifts of former First Lady rather it was a long list of gifts being bought dubiously whereas the evaluations by the Customs Department and Taj Mahal Plaza trader are also the same.
“Imran Khan is a ruthless plunderer and double-faced who has been caught red-handed. An inquiry is underway after which, a proper legal action as per the law based on impartiality sans any political victimization will be initiated against the accused.”
