Imran Khan 'sold' gold medal he received from India: Pak Defence Minister
Islamabad, Nov 22: Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan "sold" a gold medal he received from India during his cricketing years, the country's defence minister Khawaja Asif has claimed.
The 70-year-old cricketer-turned-politician is in the crosshairs these days for buying gifts, including an expensive Graff wristwatch he had received as prime minister at a discounted price from the state depository called Toshakhana and selling them for profit.
During a television programme on Monday, Asif said Khan "had sold a gold medal which he had received from India," the Express Tribune newspaper on Tuesday quoted the senior Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) leader as saying.
Asif did not provide any details about the gold medal Khan allegedly sold.
Khan's actions are not illegal per se but are contrary to the high moral standards Khan always had talked about, the report said.
Usually, such gifts are either permanently deposited in the Toshakhana or can be bought by the person who received them at a lower price.
Khan had been disqualified by the Election Commission of Pakistan for making "false statements and incorrect declaration" in the Toshakhana issue.
On September 8, the deposed prime minister admitted in a written reply that he had sold at least four presents he received during his tenure as premier, according to the report.
Meanwhile, addressing a session of the National Assembly, the defence minister took a dig at Khan and said the former prime minister has "gone mad for power."
He said Khan should not "target" the institutions that "supported him unconditionally" during the last four years.
Asif said that the PTI chairman could not deliver despite the assistance extended to him by the institutions that backed him. He noted that Khan was censuring the armed forces of the country despite the fact that they had announced to remain apolitical.
"After 75 years, we are at a point where we can say that all the institutions are playing their constitutional role. These institutions extended unconditional support' to Imran Khan," he said.
"He (Imran) should not attack these institutions but rather should be ashamed of himself that despite their assistance he could not perform."
Khan, who escaped an assassination attempt earlier this month, is expected to relaunch his long march this week, demanding early elections.
Khan was ousted in April after a no-confidence motion was passed against him.
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Messi event chaos: Court extends police custody of chief organiser till Jan 9
Kolkata (PTI): A court in West Bengal on Sunday extended till January 9 the police custody of Satadru Dutta, the chief organiser of Argentine footballer Lionel Messi's event that dissolved into disorder earlier this month.
After the completion of his initial police custody, Dutta was produced before the Bidhannagar Sub-Divisional Court, where public prosecutors levelled multiple charges against him.
Dutta, who was arrested on December 13 over alleged mismanagement in the Salt Lake stadium event on that day, was also accused of entering into contracts with food and beverage suppliers without prior government approval and being involved in alleged corruption amounting to Rs 23 crore.
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The prosecution emphasised that Dutta wields significant influence, and for this reason, he should not be granted bail.
"The investigation requires further probe into the financial transactions and pre-planned arrangements for the event. His bail plea was rejected, and he (Dutta) was sent to police custody till January 9," a senior police officer told reporters outside the court.
Dutta was seen entering the courtroom holding a copy of the Gita.
His bail plea, moved by his counsel, was opposed by the prosecution, which described the incident as pre-planned and alleged that Dutta was the main person behind the alleged mismanagement.
The police informed the court that a contract for supplying food and beverages at the stadium had been finalised even before discussions were held with the administration for arrangements during Messi's programme.
According to the police, the official food and beverage contract value stood at Rs 40 lakh while Dutta allegedly received Rs 60 lakh in cash.
It was also stated that tickets worth around Rs 19 crore were sold for the event, with over 34,000 tickets purchased.
The police told the court that Messi left the field within 20 minutes of the programme, alleging that this too was part of a pre-planned sequence.
The police also pointed out that while professional sports event management companies were engaged for Messi events in three other cities, no such company was appointed for the Kolkata programme, a decision that has now come under scrutiny.
What was supposed to be a marquee football spectacle turned into widespread violence and disorder at the stadium on December 13 after Messi’s brief and tightly ring-fenced appearance, his first at the venue since 2011, left large sections of the crowd frustrated.
Angry fans, many of whom had paid Rs 4,000 to Rs 12,000 — and in some cases up to Rs 20,000 in the black market — ran riot at the venue after failing to get even a glimpse of their favourite superstar from Argentina.
