Fawad Chaudhry refutes PM Shehbaz\u2019s claims, says new premier is \u201cthrowing dirt on Imran Khan\u201d
\nISLAMABAD
\nPrime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday accused PTI chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan of selling gifts received during foreign visits.
\nPrime Minister Sharif made these claims during a meeting with senior journalists at PM House on Friday.
\n\u201cI can confirm you that Imran Khan took gifts worth Rs140 million from Toshakhana and sold them in Dubai,\u201d he said, adding that valuable state gifts include diamond jewellery, bracelets and watches. As per the country\u2019s law, any gift received from dignitaries of a foreign state must be put in the state depository or the Toshakhana.
\nThe prime minister also termed reports regarding closure of Ehsaas program, panagahs [shelter homes] and as baseless. \u201cGovt will not close panagahs,\u201d he added.
\nIn September 2021, former SAPM Shahbaz Gill refuted allegations and said that gifts received by Prime Minister Imran Khan during foreign visits had been deposited to Toshakhana. He was responding to a debate on social media regarding secrecy maintained in the gifts received by the then premier during official tours. It is pertinent to mention here that cases are pending in the Pakistan courts against former prime ministers and a president including Asif Ali Zardari, Nawaz Sharif and Yusuf Raza Gilani regarding gifts received by them during official tours.
\nEx-PM Nawaz Sharif, former president Asif Ali Zardari and former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gillani are named in a reference for allegedly obtaining luxury vehicles from the treasury by paying 15 percent of the actual price.
\nFawad refutes PM Shehbaz\u2019s claims
\nFormer federal minister and PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry, however, refuted PM Shehbaz Sharif\u2019s statement, saying that the new premier is \u201cthrowing dirt on Imran Khan\u201d.
\nFawad claimed that Khan bought a watch \u2014 that he received from a foreign country \u2014 from the government of Pakistan and sold it. \u201cWhat is the offence if the [then] prime minister sold the watch he bought from the government?\u201d Fawad asked.
\n\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter if the watch is worth Rs50 million or 100 milllion […] if it is mine and I sold it, there shouldn\u2019t be any objection.\u201d
\nHe went on to say that he is unable to understand what exactly PM Shehbaz\u2019s allegation is.
\n\u201cShehbaz Sharif is confused and he can\u2019t decide how to level allegations against Imran Khan\u201d.
\nFawad advised PM Shehbaz to avoid superficial gossip and focus on national issues.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Fawad Chaudhry refutes PM Shehbaz\u2019s claims, says new premier is \u201cthrowing dirt on Imran Khan\u201d ISLAMABAD Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday accused PTI chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan of selling gifts received during foreign visits. Prime Minister Sharif made these claims during a meeting with senior journalists at PM House on Friday. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":255187,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[2833,5822,5949,5948],"class_list":{"0":"post-255204","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news","8":"tag-imran-khan","9":"tag-pm-shehbaz-sharif","10":"tag-selling","11":"tag-toshakhana-gifts"},"yoast_head":"\n