Media query on Farah Khan riles former Pakistan PM Imran Khan

With speculations running rife about his links with Farah Khan, who left Pakistan for Dubai amid corruption allegations, ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan again refused to answer media queries on the issue on Saturday. Farah Khan is believed to be a close friend of Imran Khan's first wife Bushra Bibi.

Imran Khan often entertains only those questions which are of his liking and similar sights were seen in this latest presser when he ducked a question about his relationship with Farah Khan and simply walked away, reported Geo News. Farah Khan was in the spotlight after the PTI chairman Imran Khan was voted out of power, as allegations were levelled against her that she had been involved in money laundering.

Another question that the PM left unattended was about his opinion on the campaign that was run against journalists during his tenure. The ousted PM did not entertain any of these questions. Imran Khan's rivals had been accusing him for curbing freedom of expression and independent media. Farah Khan, whose real name is reported to be Farah Shahzadi, reached Dubai on April 3. She used an international airline with the number EK623 to reach Dubai and used a Pakistani passport to travel to the country, the report said citing officials, privy to the knowledge.

Farah Khan had become controversial as estranged Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Aleem Khan and the Opposition had put forward corruption allegations against the friend of the Prime Minister's wife Bushra Bibi. Earlier, Pakistan Prime Minister's aide and former federal Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chaudhry lost his cool and heckled a journalist who asked about corruption allegations against Farah Khan.

The showdown took place at a press conference outside the Supreme Court, following which media persons boycotted the meeting that was attended by ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members Asad Umar, Shahbaz Gill and Ali Muhammad Khan, and demanded an apology from Chaudhry. Earlier a photograph of Farah Khan seen on a flight with a handbag that is claimed to costs USD 90,000, had gone viral on social media.

According to reports in local Pakistan media, PMLN leader and former finance minister Miftah Ismail alleged that the handbag was worth USD 90,000 (Rs16.5 million). Ismail alongside former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi alleged that Farah Khan had "taken money" for getting civil servants transferred and posted according to their choices.

"Farah Gujjar, while using a Punjab government's plane, had a bag that was worth USD 90,000," claimed Ismail. Ismail also alleged that Farah Khan was a frontwoman of Usman Buzdar, the former chief minister of Punjab. Farah Khan reached Dubai the same day when Imran Khan dissolved the National Assembly and the no-trust motion brought by the opposition was dismissed by the speaker.