A key witness in the Toshakhana II case has stated in a confessional statement to the court that PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, instructed him that the gifts received from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman should not be deposited into the Toshakhana.
In his statement, former military secretary Brigadier (retd) Muhammad Ahmad said the gifts included a Bulgari jewellery set, bottles of oud, olive oil, dates, and a book.
He maintained that all items were photographed under official protocol, with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs present during the Saudi visit in May 2021.
The ministry, he added, formally informed the Prime Minister’s Office about the gifts in writing.
Ahmad testified that while Bushra Bibi deposited a sum in exchange for the gifts, the Toshakhana Section raised no objection. The valuation and correspondence with Toshakhana, he said, were handled by the deputy military secretary on the orders of the then prime minister.
According to him, the gifts were valued at Rs2,914,500, an amount deposited into the national treasury.
However, FIA officials have argued that the actual value of the Bulgari set alone was far higher. They claim the former prime minister engaged a private appraiser who undervalued the set at Rs5.9 million, enabling him to deposit only Rs2.9 million. The set – comprising a necklace, bracelet, earrings, and a ring – was allegedly worth Rs75 million.
Ahmad, who served as military secretary from May 2020 to April 2022, said he was present during the Saudi visit from May 7-10, 2021, when the gifts were handed over.
New revelations in court, from earlier this week, have also implicated the PTI founder’s former personal secretary, Inamullah Shah, and private appraiser Sohaib Abbasi. Shah admitted to pressuring Abbasi into undervaluing the jewellery set, telling the court: “I asked Abbasi to reduce the value of the jewellery set.” He further claimed that he was later dismissed from his post due to Bushra Bibi’s displeasure.
Abbasi confirmed the coercion, saying he lowered the valuation to Rs 5 million out of fear and under pressure from senior officials. He added that Shah threatened to have him blacklisted from government work if he did not comply. Abbasi has since recorded confessional statements before both the NAB chairman and a magistrate.
According to NAB, the jewellery set was originally worth more than Rs 70 million based on market data. A company invoice from 2018 indicated the necklace had been sold for €300,000 and the earrings for €80,000, though prices for the bracelet and ring were unavailable. NAB maintains that by undervaluing the set, the national exchequer lost approximately Rs 35 million.
The reference filed by NAB says the PTI founder and Bushra Bibi received a total of 108 gifts from foreign dignitaries during his tenure as prime minister (2018-2022), but the Saudi Bulgari set was never deposited in the Toshakhana as required by law.