Criminal proceedings initiated against Imran Khan in Toshakhana case

Criminal proceedings were initiated against Imran Khan at a court on Tuesday in a case filed against the deposed Pakistan prime minister for concealing information about the expensive Toshakhana giftsThe Toshashykhana is a department under the administrative control of the cabinet division and stores gifts given to rulers parliamentarians bureaucrats and officials by heads of other governments and states and foreign dignitariesThe proceedings against Khan were initiated on the Election Commission of Pakistans complaint after it found him guilty of false statements and incorrect declaration in his election papersThe complainant said Khan had deliberately concealed his assets relating to Toshakhna gifts retained by him particularly in year 2018 and 2019 in the statements of assets and liabilities filed for the year 20172018 and 201819Additional Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal adjourned till December 8 the hearing of the case against Khan who on Tuesday failed to appear before the court after recording the district election commissioner Waqas Maliks statement according to Pakistani media reportsAlso Read Another attempt on Imran Khans life possible Pakistan judge quotes intelligence reportThe 70yearold Pakistan TehreekeInsaaf PTI party Chairman who is recovering from gunshot wounds sustained in an assassination attempt during a protest rally was summoned to appear before the court during the previous hearingKhan was summoned in the previous hearing that marked the beginning of a criminal trial against the ousted prime minister for concealing information about the expensive Toshakhana giftsThe cricketerturnedpolitician purchased from the Toshakhan an expensive Graff wristwatch from the Saudi royals which he received during a visit in 2018 as well as several other gifts and sold them in Dubai for profitHe was later disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan ECP from the National Assembly for not revealing the proceeds of the sale in his annual wealth statement provided to the commissionIn his affidavit the district election commissioner stated that he was authorised to follow the ECP verdict of November 21I have been given the authority to proceed by combining Section 190 with 16 and 173 of the Election Act 2017 he continued this proceeding concerns the corrupt practices of Imran KhanThe affidavit also took notice of the authority that rests with the ECP to seek the disqualification of a member of the national assembly on the basis of a referenceLater the judge prohibited Khans lawyer from submitting his bank statement saying the politician cannot submit a photocopy it must be certifiedAdjourning the matter the court recorded the district election commissioner Maliks affidavit and postponed proceedings until December 8According to the ECP records the gifts were purchased from the Toshakhana the state depository established in 1974 for Rs 215 million on the basis of their assessed value while they were valued at around Rs 108 millionKhan however while in government had been reluctant to disclose details of the gifts presented to him since he assumed office in 2018 maintaining that doing so would jeopardise international ties even as the Pakistan Inforshymation Commission PIC ordered it to do soKhan was ousted from power in April after losing a noconfidence vote in his leadership which he alleged was part of a USled conspiracy targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia China and AfghanistanThe cricketerturnedpolitician who came to power in 2018 is the only Pakistani Prime Minister to be ousted in a noconfidence vote in ParliamentThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever