Imran Khan took away Rs 150 mn vehicle after being ousted: Pak minister

Pakistan's Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb has claimed that ousted prime minister Imran Khan took away a plush PKR 150 million official vehicle after being removed from power through a no-confidence vote last month.

Mr Khan took a BMW X5 on his way out, which was basically a car from the Prime Minister Office's pool for foreign delegations, Marriyum told reporters on Sunday.

She insisted that the value of the car was around PKR 150 million, factoring in the bomb-proofing and bullet-proofing, which was purchased for around PKR 30 million six years ago.

Khan insisted that he wanted to keep the car, even though he had earlier criticised previous governments for keeping expensive cars in the Prime Minister's House, the Dawn newspaper quoted the minister as saying.

The minister also declared that Khan kept a handgun that was gifted to him from another country's diplomat, instead of submitting it into the Toshakhana or the state depository, the report said.

According to Pakistan's law, any gift received from dignitaries of a foreign state must be put in the state depository or the Toshakhana.

Ever since Khan, 69, lost the no-confidence vote in Parliament last month, his party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has been at loggerheads with the current political establishment headed by Shehbaz Sharif over the issue of foreign gifts.

A fortnight ago, the Islamabad High Court had directed the newly-appointed government to make public details of the gifts received by Khan during his official visits, saying gifts given to government officials by foreign governments belong to the state of Pakistan and not some individuals.

In response, Khan said they were his gifts, so it was his choice whether to keep them or not.

"Mera tohfa, meri marzi [my gift, my choice]," Khan had said.

Marriyum also claimed that Khan had lowered the gift retention percentage from Toshakhana to 20 per cent to get those gifts and then raised it to 50 per cent, the Dawn report added.