A new set of documents obtained by OWSA reveal that former Pakistan Prime Minister, Imran Khan, and his spouse, Bushra Bibi, have retained gifts the former received as head of government against a paltry sum.
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi have retained all the 112 valuables worth Rs 142.02 million gifted by other countries, either for free or purchasing at throwaway prices of Rs 38 million, a set of documents obtained by OWSA reveal.
According to the documents, Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi retained 52 of the gifts worth Rs 800,200 without paying a penny.
Toshakhana, a department reporting to the government’s cabinet division maintains the record of the gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, and officials by heads of other governments, states, and foreign dignitaries as a goodwill gesture.
The list of Toshakhana gifts received by Khan during the time he occupied office of Pakistan’s Prime Minister remained a secret throughout his tenure. Even the country’s tax authorities did not have a clue of the gifts he received from foreign dignitaries or visiting business persons.
Khan’s government had adopted the stance that the disclosure of any information related to Toshakhana would jeopardise international ties.
The list of gifts shows that the other valuables were kept by the couple after paying throwaway amounts. In a number of instances, the assessed values of these gifts were many times higher.
Watches. Perfumes.
The gifts include luxurious Rolex and other expensive watches, gold and diamond jewellery, expensive pens, cufflinks, dinner sets, perfumes, and Oud fragrance.
Among the jewellery were a multiple number of necklaces, bracelets, rings and diamond chains that Bushra Bibi retained.
Among the watches was a Graff wristwatch worth about Pakistani Rs 85 million that was presented to Khan by Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman during Khan’s very first visit to the Kingdom. Khan paid a mere Rs 20 million for this.
There were also gifts of lesser worth that the former Prime Minister chose to retain. These include an IPhone, suits, wallets, pens and perfumes.
A Rolex watch that Khan retained has been estimated by the Toshakhana to be worth Pakistani Rs. 900,000. Another Rolex watch was worth Rs 400,000. An IPhone was estimated to cost Rs. 210,000. A Dolce & Gabba perfume was said to be worth Rs. 35000 and two Bvlgari perfumes cost around Rs. 30,000 and Rs. 26,000. A Rubi perfume is estimated to cost Rs. 40,000. A Samsonite wallet cost has been put at Rs. 6,000 and another Aigner ladies wallet is said to cost Rs. 18,000. Similarly, a Mont Blanc pen was worth Rs. 28,000.
The Khans retained all of these against a payment of Pakistani Rs. 3,38,600.
Similarly a Graff watch valued at Rs. 85,000,000 and a pair of cuff links valued at Rs. 5.67 million and a ring worth Rs. 8.75 million was retained against a payment of a mere Rs 20 lakhs.
Perfumes have been of interest: Two kilos of oud worth Rs 200,000 and two bottles of Attar Rs 180,000 along with a Tasbeeh (Mouward) worth Rs. 130,000 now belong to Khan who pain a mere Rs. 240,000 for these.
Spoils of office?
Jewellery too has been Bushra Bibi’s obsession – the impression the couple have given of her is one who has devoted her lift to spiritual quests and serving the needy.
But being the spouse of the country’s prime minister seems to have given her a taste for things lavish – a diamond locket with a gold chain worth Rs. 269,350; a pair of gold ear tops studded with diamonds worth Rs. 111,800, two gold and diamond rings worth Rs. 149,400 and Rs. 272,350 each; two gold bracelets worth Rs. 235,500 were all acquired for her for just Pakistani Rs. 544,000 on 11 October 2019.
Another document shows that Bushra Bibi also received a necklace worth Rs. 1,359,000 and earrings worth Rs. 275,000 besides a ring worth Rs. 225,000 and a bracelet worth Rs. 4,000,000. She retained all of these against a payment of Rs. 29 lakhs.
The long list also includes expensive dinner sets, an Onyx bowl, luxurious chessboards, wall hangings, decorations, carpets, flower vases, Lankan gemstones, expensive rosaries or Tasbeeh and a model door of the holy Khana Kaaba, besides robes and clothes.
