PTI to take legal action against Umar Zahoor, Jang Group
After the Toshakhana revelations by Dubai-based businessman Umar Farooq Zahoor, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry has announced to initiate the legal proceedings against Umar in Dubai and Jang Group in London as after Arhsad Sharif and Azam Swati’s incidents PTI has no faith in Pakistan’s judicial system.
Addressing a press conference, he said that before the PTI’s government, the price of the gift was paid at 20%, but PTI has changed the law and set it at 50%. He added that, the cabinet had fixed the price of the watch gifted by Saudi crown prince at Rs100 million, after which Imran Khan paid 50% of the watch and sold it.
He further said that PTI chief Imran Khan had sold the watch for Rs57 million in Pakistan and paid the tax along with it, while he also disclosed this price in his tax returns.
Fawad Chaudhry refuted the Dubai-based businessman Umar Farooq’s claim that Imran Khan sold him rare gifts via close aides Farah Gogi and Shahzad Akbar.
“She has nothing to do with Umar Zahoor,” he added.
Referring to Farooq’s claim of watch’s appraisal from Graff’s official store, The PTI leader said that the price of the watch was determined from a shop in the street.
Background:
Umar Farooq Zahoor, a Dubai-based businessman, claimed that Imran Khan’s close aides, Farah Gogi and Shahzad Akbar allegedly sold some of the state gifts to him, including an expensive Graff wristwatch worth at least Rs2 billion gifted by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Umar Farooq Zahoor, while giving an interview to Geo News said, that ‘in March 2019, former SAPM on accountability Shahzad Akbar contacted him and said that he has a set of worthy watches. He added that Shahzad Akbar told him to meet Farah Khan (close friend of Imran Khan’s wife Bushra Bibi) during a Dubai visit and look at the unwanted rare gifts she wanted to sell.
He further informed that PTI wanted to sell the watch for $4 to $5 million, but after negotiations, he bought it for $2 million and paid in cash on the insistence of Farah Khan.
In an affidavit, Zahoor said: “I Umar Farooq, S/O late Zahoor Ahmed resident of R/o (Address as Per CNIC) House No D-102/1, Block-4, Clifton Karachi, currently Residing at Muhammad Bin Rashid City, District One, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) do hereby solemnly affirm and declare on oath that I was introduced to Ms Farhat Shahzadi by Mr Shehzad Akbar and bought the following ornaments, jewellery SET 2 by Graff from Ms Farhat Shahzadi having CNIC No 35201-2625741-8 and passport No. BP5147413 for AED Seven Million and Five Hundred Thousand Dirhams (AED 7,500,000) paid as cash”.
Farooq alleged later that he was blackmailed and fake cases of money laundering were registered against him by the FIA on Akbar’s behest after he refused to accept the demands made by his former wife Sophia Mirza.
According to Farooq, he got an appraisal of the gifts done from the company which makes these gifts and came to know that the “real value” of the Graff unique set was USD 12 million.
The set included:
- Diamond Master Graff Tourbillion Minute Repeater with Makkah Map
- Dial GM2751 Diamond Cufflinks With 2.12ct H IF and 2.11 ct I IF
- Round Diamonds GR46899 Round Diamond Gent’s Ring 7.20ets I VVSI
- Rose Gold Pen Set with Pave Diamonds and Enamel Makkah Map
