• Aleema Khan claims her brother has refused ‘deal for freedom’, vowed to fight his cases
• Terms Toshakhana case ‘politically motivated’
• Omar Ayub meets member of UK House of Lords
ISLAMABAD: The custodian of the Toshakhana — the treasury where gifts received by state officials are deposited — on Monday informed the Special Court of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) that former prime minister Imran Khan had retained 108 gifts given to him while in office.
Special Judge Central Shahrukh Arjumand recorded the testimony of Binyamin, a section officer at the Cabinet Division, in the case involving a Bulgari jewellery set, allegedly purchased by Mr Khan from the Toshakhana at a throwaway price.
The hearing was held in a makeshift courtroom at Adiala Jail, where Mr Khan is incarcerated.
Evidence presented to the court included records from 100 newspapers related to Toshakhana gifts, a detailed list of 108 gifts received by Mr Khan, two official registers documenting gift transactions and documentation related to an appraisal by a private evaluator.
Bushra Bibi’s lawyer, Arshad Tabrez, conducted a partial cross-examination of the witness, while Mr Khan’s counsel, Salman Safdar, is scheduled to complete the cross-examination in the next hearing.
Three witnesses have testified in the case so far. Both Mr Khan and Bushra Bibi were present during the proceedings.
‘Case politically motivated’
Speaking to the media outside Adiala Jail, Aleema Khan, the sister of Imran Khan, criticised the Toshakhana case, terming it politically motivated. She likened the case to the conviction of Mr Khan and Bushra Bibi over retaining a Graff jewellery set.
She accused authorities of targeting her brother to suppress his political influence. She claimed that Mr Khan had reiterated his demand for a judicial commission to investigate the May 9 and Nov 26 incidents.
She said her brother has been in jail for nearly 18 months and refused any deals with the establishment or foreign powers.
She expressed confidence that the Toshakhana and Al-Qadir University cases, in which a decision is expected on Jan 6, would ultimately be resolved in the higher courts. She urged authorities to prioritise national security over political vendettas.
Aleema Khan revealed that Mr Khan had rejected offers of house arrest in Banigala, opting instead to fight all legal cases against him.
“My brother believes the May 9 conspiracy was aimed at crushing PTI, which is why those who have left the party are roaming free,” she said.
Reaction to White Paper
Meanwhile, PTI Central Information Secretary Sheikh Waqqas Ahmed, in response to Information Minister Atta Tarar’s White Paper on the PTI government’s performance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, said the people of KP had already delivered their verdict on PTI’s performance by re-electing it to power for a third consecutive term on Feb 8, 2024.
He emphasised that the people of KP have consistently voted PTI into power with increasing strength, demonstrating their unwavering trust in the party and its founder.
Mr Akram made it clear that Imran Khan predicted 2025 was a year of change because “power grabbers have ruined the entire country and the system cannot sustain it anymore”.
Omar meets UK politician
In another development, Leader of the Opposition Omar Ayub Khan met Lord Qurban Hussain, a member of the UK’s House of Lords, at the opposition leader’s chamber in Parliament House, Islamabad.
Both the leaders exchanged views on strengthening democracy and deepening relations between the two countries.
Exchanging views on Pakistan’s current political climate, Mr Ayub emphasised that the rule of law, strong democratic institutions rather than individuals, and freedom of expression rather than repression constitute the core of democracy and serve as intrinsic foundations to the progress and prosperity of any nation.
Lord Qurban Hussain reaffirmed his steadfast commitment to strengthening Pakistan-UK relations and expressed his desire to see Pakistan emerge as a peaceful, just and progressive country.
Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2024
