What is Toshakhana case, for which ex-Pakistan PM Imran Khan has been convicted?

Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan on Saturday was sentenced to three-year imprisonment by an Islamabad court in the Toshakhana case pertaining to the improper acquisition of state gifts. This ruling will consequently lead to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief's disqualification from politics for the next five years. Despite his absence during the court proceedings, Khan was arrested shortly, as reported by Geo News. (Follow LIVE updates on Imran Khan's arrest here)

An additional ₹1 lakh (Pakistani rupees) has been levied on Khan by additional judge Humayun Dilawar of Islamabad sessions court. The judge also mentioned that if Khan fails to pay the fine, he could face an additional six months of imprisonment.

The complaint pertaining to the Toshakhana case was initially raised against Imran Khan on October 21 last year and he was formally indicted in this case on May 10. Imran Khan has been ousted from power after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership in April, 2022. Afterward, Khan mentioned that a total of 76 cases have been filed against him.

In May, he was taken into custody by Pakistan's anti-corruption agency for his alleged involvement in a different corruption matter. He denied wrongdoing and was released on bail within days.

Toshakhana case

-Imran Khan is accused of “deliberately hiding details about gifts” he kept from the Toshakhana, a repository for presents given to government officials by foreign officials, during his tenure as the prime minister. This includes both the gifts and the proceeds from selling them.

-The gifts reportedly consist of seven watches, with six being Rolexes. The most expensive among them was a “Master Graff limited edition”, estimated at 85 million rupees ($300,000), Reuters reported citing Pakistan's information minister.

-The case originates from a complaint by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) that claims Khan intentionally concealed information about the gifts he retained from the Toshakhana. ECP disqualified Khan on October 21, 2022, for making “false statements and incorrect declaration”.

-The Toshakhana operates under the Cabinet Division and stores gifts presented to rulers and government officials by foreign leaders and dignitaries. Rules require reporting of such gifts and items to the Cabinet Division.

-The ECP's decision mentioned that Imran Khan's disqualification was in accordance with Article 63(1)(p) of the Constitution.

-Following this, the ECP took the case to the Islamabad sessions court with a copy of the complaint, to initiate criminal proceedings against Imran Khan for allegedly misleading officials about the gifts he received from foreign dignitaries while he served as prime minister from 2018.

(With inputs from agencies)

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