ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday announced to file legal suits against Jang Group in London and ‘wanted absconder’ Umar Farooq Zahoor in Dubai for leveling allegations against party Chief Imran Khan vis-a-vis Toshakhana gifts.
Enough is enough. Yesterday Geo & Khanzada supported by Handlers slandered me through a baseless story cooked up by a known fraudster & internationally wanted criminal. I have spoken to my lawyers & I plan to sue Geo, Khanzada & the fraudster not only in Pak but also in UK & UAE.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 16, 2022
Also read: Toshakhana fiasco: Who is Umar Farooq Zahoor?
The announcement was made by PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Twitter.
He said “enough is enough. Yesterday Geo and (its host) Khanzada supported by Handlers slandered me through a baseless story cooked up by a known fraudster & internationally wanted criminal. I have spoken to my lawyers and I plan to sue Geo, Khanzada and the fraudster not only in Pak but also in UK and UAE.”
His comments came minutes after PTI leaders Fawad Chaudhry, Shireen Mazari and Zulfi Bukhari while addressing a press conference, announced the same against the media group and Dubai-based person who was also wanted by courts in Pakistan.
Addressing the presser, Fawad Chaudhry said his party and its Chairman Imran Khan stood firm against corruption in the country, adding that their government was overthrown out of power through a conspiracy.
Fawad Chaudhry said in 2018, when Imran Khan visited Saudi Arabia, he was gifted a watch which was later deposited in Toshakhana. He said the gift wasn’t received by Khan, but by a secretary who handed it over to Chief of Protocol of at the Foreign Office. The same official deposited the gift into Toshakhana, said Fawad Chaudhry.
Also read: PTI denies allegation of selling Toshakhana watch to wanted suspect
He said as per procedures, the concern departments evaluates the price of the received gifts, and sends summary to the government. This rule, he said, wasn’t enacted by their government, but it was in practice before PTI came to power.
Fawad Chaudhry revealed that as per earlier practice, the gifts received from abroad could be bought by paying 20% of their value. PTI government, he said, raised the limit to 50% to benefit national exchequer, and the same amount was paid by Imran Khan, which is also reflected in his documents summited to different government departments and institutions.
Also read: Amendment in Army Act reflects desire of Sharifs to have “their” man: Shireen Mazari
The PTI leader categorically stated that neither the watch in question was sold to Farah Bibi, nor to Umar Farooq Zahoor. He said a brother of Umar Farooq Zahoor was in jail these days, and Zahoor himself had been accused of sending his family to Dubai through illegal papers despite court’s restrictions.
On this occasion, Fawad Chaudhry announced that his party would take legal actions against Jang Group in London to air such a false propaganda, and against Umar Farooq Zahoor in Dubai for making false claims about the purchase of watch.
Smear Campaign?
A twitter user posted interesting data about use of keyword ‘Toshakhana’ by the media group which appears to be at the forefront of smear campaign against Chairman PTI Imran Khan.
https://twitter.com/asherbajwa/status/1592788078028279813
