Imran Khan accused of selling gifts received from other countries

Pakistan's Opposition parties has accused Prime Minister Imran Khan of selling gifts he received from other countries' heads, including an expensive watch worth USD 1 million. "Imran Khan has sold the gifts he received from other countries," PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz tweeted in Urdu. Opposition alliance -- Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) -- president Maulana Fazlur Rehman said there are reports that prime minister Khan has sold a precious watch he received from a prince. "This is shameful," he said. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Punjab president Rana Sanaullah told a press conference on Wednesday that Pakistan was defamed because of the alleged selling of the gifts received by the premier from the heads of the states of other countries.

Social media is rife with reports that Khan was gifted a watch worth USD 1 million by a prince of a Gulf country. The watch was allegedly sold in Dubai by Khan's close aide and USD 1 million was given to the prime minister. The prince reportedly knows the selling of the watch he gifted to Khan. Gifts are routinely exchanged between heads of states or officers holding constitutional positions during a state visit. According to the gift depository (Toshakhana) rules, these gifts remain the property of the state unless sold at an open auction. Rules allow officials to retain gifts with a market value of less than Rs10,000 without paying anything, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.

Last month, the Pakistan government refused to make public details of gifts given to the prime minister by foreign heads of states, asserting that the disclosure can damage the country’s national interest and its relations with other states, after the Pakistan Information Commission sought details from the Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government in response to an application from a citizen on the issue.The PTI government challenged the matter in Islamabad High Court, arguing that details of the gifts received by the prime minister have been designated as “classified”, the Express Tribune newspaper reported.