ISLAMABAD: The country’s top electoral authority – Election Commission of Pakistan – is expected to announce its verdict in the Toshakhana case against former prime minister Imran Khan at 2pm today, as history says Friday has been difficult for political leaders.
The ECP, which reserved its decision on the gifts case on September 19, has ordered all the relevant parties or their counsels to appear before the electoral watchdog at its secretariat in Islamabad.
Sources said that the ECP has written a letter to the district administration for providing fool-proof security at the time of the decision, expressing concerns that political workers might enter the premises of the office.
Read: Imran Khan, wife paid Rs38 millon to retain foreign gifts, documents reveal
It urged that security personnel should be deployed at the Red Zone and around the office at Constitution Avenue, G-5/2, Islamabad.
Earlier, the ECP had also sought details of Imran’s bank accounts from the State Bank in the case. The election commission would announce its reserved decision in the reference after reviewing the bank accounts, sources said.
Toshakhana, a department under the Cabinet Division maintains the record of the precious gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, and officials by heads of other governments, states, and foreign dignitaries as a goodwill gesture.
“All gifts received by the government/public functionaries irrespective of their prices, must be reported and deposited immediately in Toshakhana of the Cabinet Division, Government of Pakistan. If it is found, on checking, that an individual has not reported the receipt of a gift, appropriate action will be taken against him under the relevant rules,” said the office memorandum issued on December 18, 2018.
Read: Watches, necklaces, cufflinks: Make Imran Toshakhana gift list public, says court
But, the PTI has been unwilling to reveal the details of the gifts received by Imran since he assumed office in 2018. It maintained that disclosure of such information would jeopardise international relations. The-then Cabinet Division had also challenged the Pakistan Information Commission (PIC) order, saying that it was “illegal, without lawful authority”.
Lawmakers from the multi-party confab – the PDM – filed a reference for the former premier’s disqualification from public office under articles 62 (Qualifications for membership of Parliament) and 63 (Disqualifications for membership of Parliament) of the Constitution over his “hesitance” to share the details of gifts.
PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and PTI leader Faisal Vawda were disqualified under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution.
Following this, the PDM submitted the reference to the National Assembly speaker. It was then forwarded to Chief Election Commissioner Sikander Sultan Raja, who according to the PTI was “baised”, for further action.
The ECP sought a written reply from Imran by Sep 8 during a hearing of the case on August 29. The PTI chief had admitted to having sold at least four presents he had received during his tenure as the prime minister of Pakistan.
He maintained that “the sale of the gifts that he had procured from the state treasury after paying Rs21.56 million fetched about Rs58 million”. Some of the gifts included a graff wristwatch, a pair of cuff links, an expensive pen, a ring, and four Rolex watches.
