The Election Commission of Pakistan has banned Imran Khan in the Toshakhana Case. ECP has, in a unanimous decision, found a former premier guilty of “corrupt practices” and barred him from being a member of parliament. Khan recently won six National Assembly seats in elections held on October 16, 2022.
PTI workers and supporters rejected the decision and started protesting in different cities leading to traffic jams and roadblocks. They also burnt tires at different locations and termed the case as another failed attempt to remove Khan from the seen political.
Dozens of Khan’s supporters chanted slogans against the government and authorities at the Election Commission on Friday.
What Does the Electoral Commission Verdict Say?
The written statement states that the respondent has “deliberately and willfully” breached the provisions contained therein. [in] sections 137, 167 and 173 of the Elections Act, 2017, as he “made a false statement (sic) and an incorrect statement before the Commission in the statement of assets and liabilities filed by him for the year 2020-21”.
Faisal Chaudhry, the face of PTI’s legal team told the media that they will challenge the verdict in the Islamabad High Court and just wait for the election commission to release the detailed verdict. He also said that PTI would question the scope of the commission to deliver such a verdict.
“We will challenge their authority, their mandate in issuing this decision,” he said.
What is the Toshakhana Case?
Mohsin Shah Nawaz Ranjha, a PML-N lawmaker had filed the case against Khan in August, alleging that Imran Khan bought gifts received from foreign dignitaries by the Toshakhana but did not disclose them in statements submitted to the commission.
The Toshakhana controversy erupted last year when some media revealed that Imran Khan had sold the gifts bought by Toshakhana in the market at discounted rates. Interestingly, in an interview with senior anchor Nadeem Malik, Khan himself revealed that he sold a watch to build the fence around his Bani Gala residence.
To fuel the suspicions, PTI showed reluctance to reveal the details of the gifts received by Khan, claiming that it could potentially jeopardize Pakistan’s foreign relations.
The government created Toshakhana, which literally means gift repository, in 1970 to record the gifts received by government officials from foreign dignitaries. In accordance with Toshakhana rules, all donations received from foreign signatories must be submitted to the department. However, the recipient of the gift has an option to purchase the gift after paying a fraction of the assessed value. Buying and reselling the gifts is not completely illegal. However, political opponents question it on the grounds of ethics and morality. A recent decision by the election commission is expected to increase political instability in Pakistan.
