Daily Times

A district and sessions court in Islamabad Monday reserved the verdict on a plea filed by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in the Toshakhana case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan.

The verdict will be announced on December 15 at 2pm.

The case was heard by Additional Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal.

On November 22, the trial court took up the Toshakhana reference filed by ECP against the former Prime Minister for allegedly indulging in corrupt practices, which Khan denies.

The Election Commission had filed a petition in a district and sessions court against Imran Khan over tax evasion and the amount received from selling expensive gifted watches.

The election body had submitted a copy of the reference in court requesting criminal proceedings be initiated against him.

ECP lawyer Saad Hassan said that Imran Khan’s way of dealing with the Toshakhana gifts is tantamount to money laundering.

“ He [Imran Khan] failed to inform for how much he had sold the watch for,” he argued, adding that former premier was legally bound to disclose how he treated the gifts he acquired.

“The price of the watch was estimated at Rs85 million,” he said, adding that Khan failed to state the amount for which he sold the Toshakhana watch.

Saad Hassan stated if any Toshakhana items were transferred then it was mandatory to mention them in the tax income statements.

“It is not possible to personally own an item from the Toshakhana without declaring it,” said the lawyer.

Last month, ECP, in a consensus verdict in Toshakana reference, disqualified the former prime minister and ruled that the PTI chief was no more a member of the National Assembly.

The ECP stated that the PTI chief had submitted a false affidavit and was found involved in corrupt practices under Article 63(1)(p).

The Toshakhana controversy erupted last year when it was disclosed that Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi bought gifts given by foreign dignitaries from the state gift depository (also called Toshakhana) but did not disclose the assets in declarations submitted to the commission, and later sold them in the market at discounted rates.