ISLAMABAD:Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Narcotics Control Attaullah Tarar Friday said PTI chairman Imran Khan had committed the ‘worst-ever crime’ by concealing and selling the gifts he had been receiving from foreign dignitaries and countries as Prime Minister of Pakistan.
“Imran Khan committed the worst ever crime by not declaring the gifts. He has received a lot of gifts but concealed them. But he committed another biggest crime of selling them at extremely cheap rates,” he said.
The SAPM expressed these views at a news conference along with Law Minister Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar and PML-N senior leader Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha after the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified PTI chief Imran Khan for five years under Article 63(1)(p) for misdeclaration in the Toshakhana reference.
The Election Commission of Pakistan has disqualified PTI Chairman Imran Khan, finding him guilty of not sharing details of Toshakhana gifts and proceeds from their sale during his time as prime minister.
In the decision announced by the ECP, it has been said that Imran Khan is no longer a member of the National Assembly.
According to the verdict, Khan has been found involved in corrupt practices and his seat in the National Assembly has been declared vacant.
The SAPM further revealed that there was another unique instance that all members of Imran Khan’s entourage declared gifts they received from a country on their return to Pakistan, except him (IK). There could be two things either the host country did not give any gift to Imran Khan, having understood that he would sell out the gifts, or he would have concealed it, Attaullah Tarar added.
He was of the view that Imran Khan did not submit any bank statement of the money he received after selling out the gifts despite the ECP kept asking for the same time and again in the reference.
The SAPM said a bank account, with disorderly mentioned numbers, was provided to the ECP to hoodwink the commission hearing the Toshakhana reference.
He said that the gifts received by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had been displayed in a showcase in the Prime Minister’s house.