ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan on Wednesday announced to take legal action against UAE-based businessman Umar Farooq Zahoor and a media group that conducted his interview in which he said he paid Khan $2 million to buy a watch the ex-premier had received as a state gift.
Last month, Khan was disqualified from holding public office in a case registered against him for failing to declare assets from the sale of state gifts. Khan was accused of misusing his position as then prime minister to purchase and sell gifts received during state visits abroad that were worth over $635,497 (Rs140 million).
Multiple references were filed against Khan accusing him of buying items from the toshakhana, or state repository for gifts, to sell at higher rates in the market. A major charge was that the former premier failed to declare some of the earnings in his annual statements of assets submitted before the election commission.
In an interview with Geo News anchor Shahzaib Khanzada on Tuesday, Zahoor said he had bought an expensive Graff wristwatch set from Khan in March 2019. The watch was gifted to the former premier when he went to Saudi Arabia on his first official trip in 2018.
“I have spoken to my lawyers … we are filing cases against all of them [Geo News, the anchor and the UAE-based businessman] in Pakistan, Dubai and the United Kingdom,” Khan said while addressing his supporters in Jhelum through a video link from his residence in Lahore.
These photos show state gifts given to Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan during his first official visit to Saudi Arabia in 2018. (Courtesy: Independent Urdu)
He maintained that receipts and all other records regarding the gifts and their sales were present in the toshakhana, adding that a propaganda campaign had been unleashed against him by the media group and the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party.
In the interview to Geo, Zahoor had said Farhat Shahzadi, a friend of Khan’s wife, had made the sale on behalf of the ex-premier. He said he paid $2 million for the watch, which Shahzadi insisted be paid in cash. He also accused Khan’s former accountability czar, Mirza Shahzad Akbar, of being involved in the sale.
As per an affidavit signed by Zahoor and reported by Geo News, the watch set included a Diamond MasterGraff Tourbillon Minute Repeater with Makkah Map Dial GM2751, Diamond Cufflinks with 2.12ct H IF and 2.11ct I IF Round Diamonds GR46899 and a Diamond Gent’s Ring.
The ex-premier said his political rivals had launched a smear campaign against him before taking the issue to the election commission to get a verdict against him. “My lawyer has submitted all the record in the election commission [in the toshakhana reference],” he claimed.
Khan said he had registered charities in London for Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital and NAMAL University for fundraising, and that’s why he would be suing them there on defamation to get justice.
“I have to sadly say that I don’t have any hope from our justice system,” he said.
Discussing Pakistan’s economy, he reiterated the country’s default risk had spiked from five to 75 percent since March this year, adding that the only solution to fix the problem was early elections.
“We can come out of this quagmire by holding free and fair elections,” he said.
The former prime minister once again appealed to Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial to take action on journalist Arshad Sharif’s killing, Senator Azam Swati’s video and a gun attack on him on November 3 in Wazirabad.
Khan said he would announce the date for the long march to reach Rawalpindi within a day or two.
“After reaching Rawalpindi we’ll take the next step,” he said. “We will remain peaceful and follow the constitution.”
