LAHORE: PML-N Punjab information secretary Azma Bokhari expects red warrants of Farah Khan, a close friend of ousted premier Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, in the Toshakhana gifts case.

“The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is investigating the case of sale of Toshakhana watches by Imran Khan through Farah Khan. Farah must be brought back to the country to solve this riddle,” Ms Bokhari told a press conference here on Saturday.

Dubai-based businessman Umar Farooq Zahoor this week claimed that the PTI government had sold an expensive Graff wristwatch — gifted to former premier Imran Khan by Saudi Crown Prince Moham­mad Bin Salman — for $2 million, worth approximately Rs280m at the time of sale in 2019.

The Toshakhana issue over the sale of state gifts received by Imran Khan 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”.

After months of evading the topic, Mr Khan admitted in a written reply on Sept 8 that he had sold at least four presents he had received during his tenure as the prime minister.

Azma Bokhari said Imran Khan did not spend the money he received after selling Toshakhana gifts on the construction of a road in Banigala rather the CDA did so.

She said Imran Khan in 2019 had introduced the amnesty scheme to whiten the money he received after selling these gifts.

The PML-N leader asked PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry as to why he was doing business with Zahoor if he was a criminal. She said after Khan had completely been exposed after a fresh U-turn on conspiracy theory that the US was behind sending his government home.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2022