LHC directs govt to release Toshakhana record from 1990 to 2001

LAHORE – The Lahore High Court on Wednesday directed the federal government to make a complete record of Toshakhana from 1990 to 2001 public, days after the government issued record of Toshakhana (gift depository) from 2002 to 2023.

Justice Asim Hafeez of Lahore High Court issued the order while hearing a petition filed by lawyer Munir Ahmad who filed a plea seeking the government to release the complete details of Toshakhana gifts.

Justice Hafeez ruled that details about the source of gifts should also be made public. In the previous hearing, he ordered the concerned officials to submit the remaining record in the chamber before 2002.

Nothing should be under wraps, the court maintained and ruled that any gifts received by the country from friendly nations should also be made released.

On this, Additional AG objected to the directive concerning the disclosure of sources of gifts, however, the court maintained that all details should be public. The judge also maintained that no one could retain any gift without making the necessary payment.

Who took what from Toshakhana? Here's the full list of state gifts Pakistani rulers took home

For the first time in the history of Pakistan, the federal government on Sunday made the record of Toshakhana gifts since 2002 public.

The development comes days after Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the federal government had given not to declassify the data of the state repository that stores gifts received by public officeholders from other governments and foreign dignitaries.

The 446-page document contains record of the period from 2002 to 2023. It reveals the list of gifts received by presidents, prime ministers and federal ministers. During this year 2023, the current coalition government received 59 gifts from different countries.

The Toshakhana department, which was established in 1978, and all the public officeholders, including parliamentarians and bureaucrats, are bound to deposit gifts in it. The department came under the spotlight when Election Commission of Pakistan initiated proceedings against former prime minister Imran Khan for disclosing the details of Toshakhana gifts retained by him in the declaration.

Last year, the ECP also disqualified the PTI chief as member of the National Assembly in the Toshakhana case for not disclosing the giftsr. A districts and sessions court in the federal capital is also hearing a criminal case after it was referred by the electoral body.