Imran Khan who was recently ousted as Pakistan Prime Minister had during his three-and-a-half-year stint received 58 gifts amounting to over Rs 140 million from world leaders and retained all of them either by paying a negligible amount or even without any payment.
Khan, who had become the premier of Pakistan on calls of removing corruption and implemented several austerity measures to ease the burden on the government exchequer was found selling Toshakhana gifts worth Rs 140 million in Dubai, reported The News International.
As far as the other gifts retained by Imran Khan are concerned, a set of gifts containing a Rolex watch, a pair of cufflinks, one ring and one box containing a necklace, bracelet, and a pair of earrings was valued at Rs 23.5 million and it was retained through Rs 11.5 million.
The other gifts included a Rolex watch worth Rs 3.8 million which he had retained in October 2018 by paying around Rs 754,000. Another Rolex watch of Rs 1.5 million was retained in return for Rs 294,000. Another set of gifts included a couple of Rolex watches, an iPhone and other items worth Rs 1.73 million, which was retained for Rs 338,600, reported The News International.
Imran Khan paid Rs 38 million for gifts valued at Rs 140 million and other gifts worth Rs 800,200 were retained without making any payment.
The most expensive among them were, according to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, sold in Dubai.
Among the most expensive was one set of gifts he had received after his inauguration as prime minister in August 2018 including the Graff watch of Rs 85 million that was received together with cufflinks of Rs 5.67 million, a pen of Rs 1.5 million and a ring of Rs 8.75 million.
Their price assessment was made by the evaluation committee set up by him. All these gifts which had a total value of around Rs 100 million were retained by Imran Khan in September 2018 by paying 20 per cent (Rs20 million) of their estimated value, reported The News International.
They were subsequently sold in Dubai earning Rs 155 million, alleged PM Shehbaz Sharif. It has to be determined who paid for their retention, whether Imran Khan paid any capital gains tax or not.
According to the rules, a gift received by a government functionary from a leader of another country is deposited in the treasury. Those interested to retain the gift can do so by paying a certain amount of the value which was 20 per cent at the time Imran Khan had retained the above-mentioned gifts.
The rules were revised in December 2018 that required the payment of 50 per cent to retain these gifts. Incidentally, Imran Khan had ordered filing references against former president Asif Ali Zardari and former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Yousaf Raza Gillani on charges of getting luxury gifts and vehicles from the treasury.
