LAHORE: PTI Chairman Imran Khan has announced taking action against the anchor of a private channel and a Dubai-based Pakistani businessman for claiming to have sold a watch and other items from the Toshakhana.

A private news channel had claimed that an expensive wristwatch gifted by Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman to former prime minister Imran Khan was sold by Farah Khan and Shahzad Akbar to Pakistani-Norwegian Umar Farooq Zahoor.

Zahoor claimed he was the buyer of an expensive Graff wristwatch gifted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman to Imran Khan.

Zahoor said he had evidence to prove he bought the rare watch and three other Toshakhana gifts from Farah Khan, a close friend of Bushra Bibi, for 7.5 million Dirhams in cash.

However, Imran Khan said that the anchor Shahzaib Khanzada had slandered him through a baseless story by a “known fraudster and internationally wanted criminal”.

Imran Khan said he spoken to his lawyers and will sue the private channel, anchor and the businessman in Pakistan and also in UK and UAE.

Enough is enough. Yesterday Geo & Khanzada supported by Handlers slandered me through a baseless story cooked up by a known fraudster & internationally wanted criminal. I have spoken to my lawyers & I plan to sue Geo, Khanzada & the fraudster not only in Pak but also in UK & UAE.

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 16, 2022

Earlier PTI senior leader Fawad Chaudhry said the businessman who has been presented as the buyer was never sold the watch nor is he directly or indirectly related to Imran Khan.

Fawad said that when no case was found against Imran Khan, it was claimed that Saudi King gifted an expensive watch that was bought from the Toshakhana and sold at an expensive price in the market.

He clarified that a watch worth $5 million (approx. Rs2 billion) was never gifted to any prime minister. He said any official gift received abroad is collected by the protocol officer of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who submits the receipt to the concerned department by depositing it in the Toshakhana.

He maintained Tosha Khan falls under the Cabinet division, where an independent committee decides the price of the gift according to the rules. The market price is determined and the concerned minister or the prime minister is informed, he added.

According to rules before Imran Khan’s government, that gift could be taken as personal property by paying 25% of the price, Fawad said, adding that PTI increased the buying rate to 50 percent.

He said Imran Khan bought a watch from Toshakhana according to the law and declared in his tax returns and election commission reports.

He said the person whom Jang/Geo Group presented as the buyer was never sold the watch nor is he directly or indirectly related to Imran Khan.

Former special assistant Zulfi Bukari also refuted the valuation done by Zahoor, saying that the “fraudster” wanted on Interpol list got the fake valuation from a corner shop rather than the manufacturer.

He said the fake valuation is at $12 million. He issued an open challenge to get the valuation from the original maker’s Graff, adding the watch was sold for Rs5.7 crores.

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