Senior leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Fawad Chaudhry, landed in hot water on Wednesday night after Geo News‘ Shahzeb Khanzada revealed WhatsApp conversations the former minister had with Dubai-based businessman Umar Farooq Zahoor.
The alleged Whatsapp conversations show that Fawad Chaudhry was in contact with Zahoor who claimed this week that former Prime Minister Imran Khan sold him a precious Graff set gifted to him by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2019. Fawad, who had called Zahoor a “liar” after his explosive claims about the sale of the state gift, refers to the businessman as “brother”.
When Zahoor revealed that he had bought state gifts from Imran Khan, Chaudhry denied the allegations. However, he acknowledged that the gift was “legally” sold in the market.
In the chats, Fawad said to Zahoor that “It seems the watch alleged to be of IK is not the same”. He also requested him not to take Khan’s name.
During the show, Khanzada said Chaudhry also promised to help Zahoor get contracts from the Government of Pakistan.
On Tuesday, Zahoor revealed to Shahzeb Khanzada how that he had bought the Graff set from Khan. Immediately afterward, Chaudhry contacted him and asked what had happened. “[Taking the name of] Shahzad Akbar is understandable, but why Imran Khan?” Chaudhry asked the businessman.
Zahoor and Chaudhry met in Dubai several times. During the PTI government, the two also exchanged messages.
Zahoor claimed that he had bought the branded set through former accountability minister Shahzad Akbar and Farah Khan, a close aide of Imran’s wife Bushra Bibi. He said that he had paid the equivalent of $2 million in cash for the set.
