Agency starts probe into disappearance of necklace donated by Turkish first lady for flood victims
Following the directives of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has started the investigation into issue of disappearance of an expensive necklace, donated by the wife of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the flood-hit people of Pakistan in 2010.
The necklace had gone missing from the warehouse of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) after which Interior Minister had ordered FIA for investigation of missing necklace donated by Emine Erdogan for flood stricken population.
Earlier, former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has admitted that an expensive necklace was in his possession. Gilani has said that he has close ties with the Erdogan family and Mrs Erdogan was like a sister to him.
“The necklace belongs to my sister and is with me,” former PM said, adding that after the necklace was donated by the Turkish first lady, he had planned a visit to a flood-relief camp in Sindh where a couple was getting married. Gilani said that he had intended to gift the necklace, whose market price was estimated at Rs 200,000, to the bride but to his surprise, he was greeted by eight girls who were to be married that day. The former PM then decided to keep the necklace with himself and instead gift Rs 200,000 each to the eight couples.
Gilani disputed NADRA’s claim that it had acquired the necklace in an open auction, saying the necklace is still in his possession.
On the other hand, former NADRA chairman Ali Arshad Hakeem told the media persons that NADRA had decided to purchase the necklace so it could be returned to Mrs Erdogan.
Referring to the mass wedding ceremony in a Sindh flood-relief camp, he said that photos from the ceremony were also prepared so they could be sent to Mrs Erdogan to let her see how her gesture worked. He said that both the necklace and the albums had been sent to the Prime Minister’s House, ostensibly to be sent back to the Turkish first lady.
According to the report, Gilani disagreed, asking, “How did he arrange the amount and on whose orders? I did not order him and most probably the interior minister (Rehman Malik) also did not order him to do so.”
Stressing his close ties with the Erdogan family, the former prime minister said that his son Ali Haider’s honeymoon had also been arranged by the Erdogan family in Istanbul.