• Voices stated to belong to Zulfi Bukhari, Imran’s spouse function on 21-second clip
• Bukhari questions authenticity of recording; Islamabad shopkeeper denies buying watch
KARACHI: The Toshakhana case dominated tv headlines as soon as once more on Thursday after an audio tape surfaced, presupposed to be of a dialog between a PTI chief and the spouse of PTI Chairman Imran Khan, the place the duo may be heard speaking concerning the sale of wristwatches within the possession of the previous premier.
The 21-second clip is the most recent growth within the matter involving the sale of an costly Graff wristwatch, gifted to Mr Khan by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.
“There are just a few [watches] that Khan sahib needs to be delivered to you so you possibly can promote them. These watches usually are not in his use so he needs them to be offered off,” a voice presupposed to belong to Mr Khan’s spouse, Bushra Bibi, may be heard telling the particular person on the opposite finish.
In reply, a voice stated to belong to former aide to PM Sayed Zulfiqar Bukhari says, “Positive, murshid. I’ll do it.”
The supply of the audio recording couldn’t be instantly established, and its veracity has been challenged by a number of quarters.
Mr Bukhari has additionally denied his involvement within the sale of the watches in addition to questioned the authenticity of the audio.
“Earlier, it was being stated the watches had been offered to a person named Umar Zahoor by way of Farah [Khan]. After they had been despatched a authorized discover, a brand new story surfaced that in actuality the watch was offered by way of me. Let me make it clear I neither took any watch nor offered [any watch],” he stated in a collection of tweets on Thursday.
Mr Bukhari, whereas demanding the forensic audit of the tape, claimed that even “faculty children” might physician audios. “I’m able to pay for it [forensic audit] out of my pocket.”
The problem of the sale of the watch has been a degree of competition for the previous prime minister since he was ousted from energy in April. Mr Khan was disqualified by the election fee in October in the identical case for making “false statements and incorrect declaration”.
In November, the Dubai-based businessman Umar Farooq Zahoor claimed the PTI authorities offered the wristwatch to him for $2 million, price roughly Rs280m on the time of sale in 2019.
PTI contested Mr Zahoor’s declare and argued the watch was offered to a store ‘Artwork of Time’ in Islamabad, however on Thursday, Geo Information reported that the proprietor of the store had additionally denied his involvement within the buy.
In a video message shared broadly on social media, the person, figuring out himself as Muhammad Shafiq stated he had a store in Jinnah grocery store within the F7 space of Islamabad.
“Propaganda was happening towards me and my store [that] I purchased Imran Khan’s Graff watch,” he stated, including he neither purchased any watch nor signed any invoice.
“Neither was that my [shop’s] invoice, nor was that my signal or handwriting. It was misused,” he stated of a receipt shared on social media by PTI leaders to show the sale.
Mr Shafiq added that he had been silent on the difficulty, hoping for it to “die down”.
“However it didn’t occur … I used to be fairly distressed the entire time and I used to be even compelled to promote the store and shut my enterprise.”
Calling the entire episode “propaganda” he vowed authorized motion towards these linking him to the acquisition in future.
Printed in Daybreak, December ninth, 2022
