Toshakhana gift sale: Farah Khan sends Rs5bn defamation notice

Farah Khan, a close aide of PTI chairman Imran Khan’s wife, sent Rs5 billion legal notice about her alleged involvement in the sale of Toshakhana gifts.

The legal notice by Farah Khan, who real name is Farhat Shahzadi, has been sent to Pakistan-origin Dubai-based businessman Umar Farooq Zahoor, TV channel Geo News, and anchorperson Shahzaib Khanzada for airing the remarks.

The 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 former special assistant Mirza Shahzad Akbar to Pakistani-Norwegian Umar Farooq Zahoor in Dubai.

Zahoor claimed he had evidence to prove he bought the rare watch and three other Toshakhana gifts from Farah Khan for 7.5 million Dirhams in cash.

In the legal notice dated November 26, Farah Khan asserted that she did not even travel to Dubai in 2019 and attached her travel history as proof.

Farah Khan alleged that Zahoor had “deliberately uttered various defamatory remarks” against her and falsely the anchor that Shahzad Akbar had introduced him to Farah causing her “sizeable reputational damage.

It said that Umar Farooq’s statements were a “sheer denial and broad daylight infringement” of various constitutional rights and had also encouraged her rivals to further “noxious agenda to spread false and negative propaganda” against Farah.

The notice alleged that the respondents had deliberately targeted Farah for “evil designs and machinations” to pursue a malafide and personal vendetta of defaming and devastating her name, business and reputation.

The notice said that its copies were sent to the interior ministry, Federal Investigation Agency, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority to take swift appropriate action against the respondents.

The notice called upon Zahoor, Geo and Khanzada to cease and desist (C&D) from all ongoing defamation of Farah and her business. It called on them to tender an unconditional apology and prompt C&D written assurance within seven days of the notice’s receipt.

It also demanded them to publish a contradiction and tender an unconditional apology on TV and social media within seven days of the notice’s receipt. The notice ordered them pay Rs5bn as compensation to Farah and threatened legal action if the stipulations were not fulfilled.

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