The Lahore High Court was told by the federal government that records of the Toshakhana gifts buyers since 2002 were being “declassified” and would be uploaded to a website. The Toshakhana department stores valuable gifts given to parliamentarians, bureaucrats, officials and rulers by foreign dignitaries and heads of other governments and states. The government had initially been hesitant to submit the records. However, on February 21, the government submitted the details of the Toshakhana gifts to the court after a petition was filed to make the records public. The Cabinet Division will present the records of the Toshakhana gifts from before 2002 in court in the next hearing.
A lawyer filed a plea in December 2022 seeking details of assets gifted to bureaucrats, rulers and the names, information, documentation and materials of those who have received these assets by payment. The petitioner also demanded information on the methodology used to determine the price of the Toshakhana articles. Ministries of Parliamentary Affairs and Interior and Pakistan Information Commission were arrayed as respondents in the petition. In March 2023, the hearing was adjourned until March 13.
The Prime Minister promised to make the entire record of Toshakhana available to the public, adding that politicians, bureaucrats and cabinet members would not be allowed to retain gifts worth more than $300. He further explained that judges and the armed forces do not provide details of gifts received on official tours to the state gift repository.
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