Title: IHC asks govt to release details of gifts received by ex-PM
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The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday ordered the federal government to make public the details of gifts received by former prime minister Imran Khan during his official visits to foreign countries.
During a hearing regarding a petition challenging the former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government’s decision to keep the details of these gifts secret, the IHC ordered the federal government to submit its response within two weeks.
The IHC also said that the information regarding the gifts should be shared with the petitioner since there was no stay order regarding making the information about these gifts public.
The court remarked there should not be a policy of buying these state gifts by paying a meagre sum. “Such a policy means that these gifts are on sale,” the judge added.
According to Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb, gifts given to government officials by foreign governments belong to the state of Pakistan not some individuals. “These gifts are not meant for taking home,” he said, adding that these gifts should be recovered if someone had taken them home.
Read IHC hints at keeping foreign gifts in museum
“Individuals come and go but the office of the prime minister of Pakistan is permanent,” the IHC judge added. Justice Aurangzeb said if there was a need for constitutional interpretation regarding these gifts then the high court was willing to help.
The deputy attorney general asked the court for more time because of the new government. He said the Establishment Division was in contact with the government and as soon as directives are issued the court would be informed.
Justice Aurangzeb said the government should formulate a policy that would be acceptable to everyone.
These gifts should be placed in museums or art councils, he said, adding that information regarding the sent and received gifts should be shared. He reiterated that the issue did not concern an individual but the PM’s office.
Gifts purchased by Imran
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan had purchased at least four expensive gifts at one fifth - Rs21 million - of their government-assessed rates of Rs102 million before the federal cabinet revised the rules and increased the price tags in December 2018, sources told The Express Tribune.
An expensive watch was among the four gifts that Imran Khan had decided to retain after paying their nominal price, a senior government official revealed on Friday, who said that the other three gifts include a pen, ring and cufflinks.
The assessed value of the watch was Rs85 million while the pen’s worth was estimated to be Rs15 million, the ring Rs9 million and the cufflinks Rs6 million.
Published Date: 20-Apr-2022
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