- Imran claims that Geo and Shahzeb slandered him.
- Shahzeb accepts Imran’s challenge, says will face court.
- Journalist also asks PTI chief 11 important questions.
ISLAMABAD, NOV 16: Geo News’ anchorperson Shahzeb Khanzada raised multiple questions over the Toshakhana transactions after PTI Chairman Imran Khan threatened to take him, Geo News, and Dubai-based businessman Umar Farooq Zahoor to court.
In a major revelation during an interview on Geo News’ programme “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath”, Zahoor claimed that Farah Gogi and Shahzad Akbar sold the expensive Graff wristwatch, worth at least Rs2 billion, to him — which was gifted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman to Khan.
In an affidavit, the businessman has listed four gifts he purchased from Farah — a close friend of Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi, who was also embroiled in corruption cases recently.
Following the revelations, PTI leadership refuted the businessman’s claims and said that no one named Zahoor was sold the Toshakhana gifts. Then, Khan, announced that he would take action against Khanzada, Geo News, and the “fraudster”.
“Enough is enough. Yesterday Geo and Khanzada supported by handlers slandered me through a baseless story cooked up by a known fraudster and internationally wanted criminal,” he claimed.
After Khan’s threat, Khanzada spoke over the phone with Geo News and told the former prime minister that all stories are aired after due diligence and he was ready to accept the PTI chief’s challenge.
The journalist asked that if Khan believes that Zahoor was a “fraudster”, then why does he have the gifts? “If [Khan] did not sell the gifts to him, then whom did he sell it to?”
“We always run a story after complete investigation. It isn’t our responsibility to find out to whom were the gifts sold; it is Imran Khan’s responsibility to tell the people.”
Berating the former prime minister, Khanzada said that every time he hosts a show regarding PTI, he makes sure that the party’s leaders are invited, but they never show up.
“We will face the PTI chairman in any court he wants to go,” Khanzada said.
Khanzada, apart from other questions, demanded Khan to answer 11 important questions:
- Why were the gifts sold via Farah Gogi for $2 million dollars?
- If Imran Khan did not sell them, how did they reach Umar Farooq?
- If the gifts were sold not to Umar Farooq, then to whom?
- Was the money brought to Pakistan after gifts were sold?
- If the money was brought to Pakistan, where is the banking transaction?
- If money was not brought to Pakistan, where is this huge amount of cash?
- Why were the transactions shown as nearly Rs60 million and not Rs280 million?
- Did Imran Khan evade filing taxes or did he hide the money trail by not disclosing these transactions?
- In 2019, the gifts were priced at over Rs1 billion.
- Why were the gifts bought from Toshakhana by only paying a little over Rs20 million?
- Why was the national exchequer dealt damages of more than Rs1 billion?
