ISLAMABAD – The federal government has introduced stricter rules for the Toshakhana, formally enforcing the Toshakhana Management and Regulation Rules 2026.
The Cabinet Division has issued a formal notification outlining the new regulations aimed at tightening the system for receiving, retaining and disposing of gifts received by government officials.
Under the new rules, government officials other than the president and prime minister will be discouraged from accepting gifts. Gifts currently held by Toshakhana, as well as those received in the future, will be auctioned publicly.
The proceeds from the auctions will be spent on the education of girls in underdeveloped areas.
However, gifts of cultural, historical or diplomatic sensitivity will not be auctioned. Public auctions will preferably be held twice a year and at least once annually.
Government officials and their family members will not be allowed to participate in the auctions. Gifts belonging to a set will also not be sold separately. The auctions will be subject to direct media coverage.
A committee headed by the Cabinet secretary will oversee decisions regarding the gifts. Additional secretaries of the finance, foreign affairs, law and culture divisions will be members of the committee.
The committee will determine which gifts should be auctioned and which should be preserved because of their historical or sensitive nature.
Under the new regulations, if accepting a gift is unavoidable due to diplomatic protocol, it must be deposited with Toshakhana. Gifts received in Pakistan must be deposited within 30 days, while gifts received during foreign visits must also be deposited within 30 days of the official’s return.
A 60-day period has been allowed for gifts transported separately by aircraft. Employees in grades 1 to 4 will be allowed to retain cash awards.
The market value of gifts will be determined by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and private appraisers. If there is a difference of more than 25% between the two valuations, the opinion of a third appraiser will be considered final.
Artificial intelligence (AI) may also be used to help determine reference prices, while the Pakistan Ordnance Factories (POF) in Wah will determine the value of weapons.
Failure to deposit a gift within the prescribed period may lead to a complaint being filed in court.
The custody of Toshakhana gifts will be entrusted to a Grade-20 officer, while CCTV cameras and proper locking arrangements will be mandatory in the storage room.
Under the new system, records and photographs of all gifts will be published on a dedicated web portal. However, the name of the person or country presenting the gift will not be disclosed.
