Imran Khan received five expensive wristwatches, including a Graff watch, worth 3.8 million Pakistani rupees (PKR) — around Rs 1.1 million at current rates — in gifts during his tenure as the prime minister of Pakistan, data released by the country’s government showed. Khan retained these gifts in October 2018 after paying a quarter of a million.
In September 2018, Khan paid PKR 20 million to retain a different Graff wristwatch worth PKR 85 million, a pair of cufflinks worth PKR 5.6 million, a pen worth PKR 1.5 million, and a ring worth PKR 8.75 million.
A Rolex worth PKR 1.5 million was also retained by Khan for PKR 294,000.
In November 2018, he retained another Rolex worth PKR 900,000 and paid PKR 338,600 for it and some other items.
A year later, in October 2019, he retained a boxed watch, assessed at PKR 1.9 million for Rs 935,000. In September 2020, another Rolex, assessed at PKR 4.4 million, was retained for PKR 2.4 million. This amount also included other gifts.
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The same month, his wife, Bushra Bibi, kept a necklace worth PKR 10 million, a bracelet worth PKR 2.4 million, a ring worth PKR 2.8 million, and a pair of earrings worth PKR 1.85 million for PKR 9 million.
The data was released as Pakistan amended its Toshakhana policy to cap the gifts for its top officials at under $300. The new policy comes amid the infamous Toshakhana case, in which Imran Khan is accused of not sharing details of some of the gifts he received.
On Sunday, Pakistan made public the details of foreign gifts retained by public office holders, including the country’s presidents, prime ministers, federal cabinet members, politicians, bureaucrats, retired generals, judges and journalists between 2002 and 2022. The details were updated on the website of the Cabinet Division.
Prominent personalities who benefited from the Toshakhana gifts included President Dr Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, former prime ministers Imran Khan, Nawaz Sharif, Shaukat Aziz, Yousuf Raza Gilani, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, and Zafarullah Khan Jamali, former presidents Asif Ali Zardari and Pervez Musharraf, and other top politicians.
Here’s a list of gifts retained by Pakistan’s top politicians between 2002 and 2022:
Nawaz Sharif
The three-time prime minister and PML-N chief, Nawaz Sharif, between 2008 and 2017, retained a Mercedes Benz, several high-end wristwatches, including Rolex and Piaget, jewellery and other items worth PKR 119.58 million. He paid just PKR 24.39 million for them.
Asif Ali Zardari
Former president and PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari in January 2009 retained a BMW car and a Toyota Lexus, worth over PKR 100 million, for just PKR 16.1 million. He got another BMW car for just PKR 4 million.
In 2011, he retained two wristwatches worth PKR 3.25 million, a gun and other items for just PKR 668,469.
Arif Alvi
President Dr Arif Alvi’s wife, Samina Alvi, retained a necklace worth PKR 1.19 million in October 2019 and paid PKR 865,000 for it and other items in a jewellery box. The president himself retained a PKR 2.25 million Rolex wristwatch in February 2022 for PKR 1.2 million.
Former prime minister and National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf retained a Graff wristwatch assessed at Rs 890,000 in November 2012 after paying Rs 218,000 for it and other items.
Ex-premier Shahid Khaqan Abbasi retained a Hublot wristwatch, worth Rs 15 million, a pair of cufflinks, worth PKR 1.2 million, a pen, worth PKR 1.5 million, a ring, worth PKR 3 million and prayer beads, worth PKR 1.85 million in October 2017 after paying PKR 4.5 million. His wife Sameena Shahid also retained a jewellery set, worth PKR 99 million, for PKR 19.99 million.
In November 2017, Abbasi retained a PKR 23 million Rolex watch box set after paying PKR 4.59 million. In April 2018, he retained another Rolex wristwatch worth PKR 25 million after paying PKR 5.27 million for it and other items.
Former prime minister Yousuf Raza Gillani’s wife, Fauzia Gillani, retained a PKR 2 million jewellery set for PKR 326,043 in December 2009.
