The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) claimed that Former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, retained gifts from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, valued at an estimated Rs3.16 billion, by paying only Rs180 million.
Based on findings from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the report highlights a gap between the gifts’ actual worth and the amount paid.
The NAB report acknowledged the absence of a robust system in Pakistan to determine the value of such gifts accurately. Various Pakistani institutions, including the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the Collectorate of Customs, and the Industries and Production Division, have expressed their inability to ascertain the true value of the jewellery set gifted by the Saudi crown prince.
Organizations like the Gems and Jewellery Traders Association and the Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation could not provide a valuation. Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) requests sent to Britain, UAE, Italy, and Switzerland yielded no response.
However, Imran Bashir of Embo Ampex FZE, appointed by the Pakistani Consulate General in Dubai, estimated the actual value of the gifts to be Rs 3.16 billion. As per the report, Imran Khan and his wife could have legally retained the gifts by paying Rs1.57 billion.
The NAB report clarified that there was no evidence to suggest intentional undervaluation of the gifts by government officials for financial gains. Hence, no government officials were implicated. It was revealed that the PTI founder and his wife paid half Rs90 million to keep the gifts, as reported on Saturday. The incident reflects the complexities of valuing and retaining state gifts within Pakistani politics.
