Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairperson Imran Khan on Wednesday slammed a local news channel and its anchor for a ‘baseless story’ a day after a well-known Dubai-based businessperson came on the channel and claimed he had bought some of the state gifts from Farah Gogi and Shahzad Akbar.
Taking to his official Twitter handle, the deposed premier maintained that the TV network and anchorperson were “supported by handlers”.
He furthered that he was “slandered … through a baseless story cooked up by a known fraudster and internationally wanted criminal”.
Imran stated that he had spoken to his lawyers and planned to sue the network and anchor, “not only in Pak but also in UK and UAE”.
His remarks come after businessperson Umar Farooq Zahoor, in an interview, said he bought expensive items, gifted to the PTI chief by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, for $2 million.
He further alleged that the adviser to the former premier on accountability Shahzad Akbar had contacted him in 2019 to sell watches, rings, and other gifts and said also has evidence to substantiate the claims he was making.
The businessman went on to allege that he was later blackmailed, and fake cases of money laundering were registered against him by the Federal Investigation Agency at the behest of Shahzad Akbar after he refused to listen to the demands made by his former wife Sophia Mirza.
“Farah Khan herself brought the gifts to my office in Dubai and told me that the items had been gifted to Imran Khan by the Saudi crown prince,” he claimed and added that he was convinced to buy them after he confirmed through his sources.
