Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) senior vice-president and chief organizer Maryam Nawaz has once again landed in hot waters after a video clip of her interview with anchor Mansoor Ali Khan went viral on social media.
The off-air portion of Maryam’s interview went viral on social media in which she can be seen asking the production team to stop recording some of the burning questions asked by the host of the show.
The PML-N leader tried to avoid questions about the BMW vehicle acquired during 2009-10 which was sold in 2011-12.
The host further asked him whether PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif was gifted a Mercedes by Saudi Prince Abdullah bin Abdulaziz which was cleared in 2008.
“Why was a gift from the 1990s purged in 2008?” He questioned, adding that according to Toshakhana rules, cars were not allowed at that time.
Mansoor further said that in 2008, during the government of Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, rules and regulations were relaxed to benefit Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.
The PML-N senior vice-president was then seen asking the cameraman to stop recording and apparently asked his staff to tell the facts about the matter.
Trying to calm down the PML-N leader, a woman behind the camera can be heard assuring him that an off-the-record conversation will not be part of the interview.
When Mansoor explained the details of the rules, Maryam told him that she was not aware of the actual facts and figures in this regard and that she would check the details.
Later, in a tweet, Maryam defended her actions by saying that she did not have the required information and “doesn’t want to say anything that is factually incorrect”.
‘The Original Bombshell’
Supporters and leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) called him their leader — Imran Khan — is facing corruption charges related to collecting state gifts.
Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry referred to the video clip as “the best part of the interview”.
“The best part of the interview is how this part was left out of the original script? Rial Bombshell toh yaa tha [it was the real bombshell],” he wrote.
In a separate tweet, Fawad shared a video clip in which Maryam was being questioned about the BMW car.
The former information minister quipped, “I wish I was rich enough to own a BMW and I didn’t even know I had such an expensive car but it requires being polite and dumb.”
Tosha box under the microscope
Tosha Khana gifts have been the talk of the town since Khan was ousted as prime minister in April last year as both the Pakistan Democratic Movement-led coalition government and the PTI have periodically traded on the state gift hoard.
Under the rules governing the “toshakhana” – a Persian word meaning “treasure chest” – government officials can keep gifts if they are of little value, while they can be given dramatically to the government for extravagant items. But you have to pay less fee.
Tosha Khana has been under a microscope ever since allegations surfaced that Khan bought gifts as prime minister at exorbitant rates and sold them in the open market for huge profits.
The PTI chief was accused of abusing his 2018-2022 prime ministership by buying and selling state-owned gifts received during foreign trips worth over 140 million rupees ($635,000). It was more.
Among the gifts were watches given by a royal family, according to government officials, who had previously alleged that Khan’s aides had sold them in Dubai.
The gifts included seven wristwatches, six made by watchmaker Rolex, and the most expensive, a “Mastergraph Limited Edition” worth 85 million rupees ($385,000).
The Election Commission’s order said that Khan was disqualified under Article 63(1)(p) of the Constitution.
Following the order, the election watchdog approached the Islamabad sessions court seeking criminal proceedings against him – and the PTI chief missed several hearings.
