Toshakhana case: NAB seeks reply from Imran Khan to its questionnaire

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Thursday submitted a 12-point questionnaire to Islamabad High Court (IHC), seeking reply from Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan in Toshakhana case, ARY News reported.

According to details, the accountability watchdog submitted a questionnaire to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in connection with the investigation into Toshakhana case against the former premier.

The NAB has asked the PTI chairman to provide the receipts of the sale of gifts and photos of the gifts he received from the Toshakhana as evidence. The NAB also sought details of gifts allegedly sold at the Islamabad Sector F-7 shop.

Some of the questions put forward to Imran Khan are: How many gifts did you receive as the Prime Minister of Pakistan? How many times have you sold gifts from Toshakhana? What gifts did you sell? When and to whom did you sell gifts? Were there any middlemen or women involved in these transactions? Provide details of each person involved in the purchase and sale of your gifts. To be told, the proceeds from the sale of gifts were taken in the form of cash or through the banks?

Earlier in the day, Imran Khan was granted exemption from appearance in the Toshakhana case being heard by a district and sessions court in the federal capital.

Additional Sessions Judge Zafar Iqbal announced the ruling after hearing arguments from former prime minister’s legal team and prosecutor Amjad Parvez.

During the hearing, the PTI chief’s lawyer filed an exemption plea for three days and argued that the Islamabad bar was holding protests for three days.

The case

The Toshakhana issue became a major sticking point in national politics after the Election Commission of Pakistan disqualified the PTI chief for making “false statements and incorrect declaration” last month.

Read more: ECP releases detailed judgment of Toshakhana reference

The judgement added that the former premier was found to be indulged in corrupt practices under sections 167 and 173 of the constitution. “A criminal proceeding will be initiated against him over filing a false statement.”

“As per the statement of Imran Khan he had purchased the gifts from Toshakhana paying 21.564 million rupees while the Cabinet Division said that the gifts had a value of 107.943 million.”

“The amount in his bank account was around half of the value of the state gifts. Imran Khan was bound to declare the cash and bank details in his returns but he didn’t declare it,” the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) decision read.