LAHORE: The federal government expressed its concerns to the Lahore High Court (LHC) regarding the public disclosure of foreign gifts received by officials, known as “Toshakhana gifts.”
The government said such disclosure could lead to “unnecessary media hype” and potentially damage Pakistan’s international relations.
The concern was raised in a report submitted to the high court during a hearing for a petition filed by a private citizen, Munir Ahmad, in December last year, seeking to make records of Toshakhana gifts public.
The case centres on a government department known as Toshakhana — which during the Mughal era referred to the treasure houses kept by the subcontinent’s princely rulers to store and display gifts lavished on them.
Government officials must declare all gifts to the Cabinet Division, but are allowed to keep those below a certain value.
More expensive items must go to Toshakhana under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division, but in some cases, the recipient can buy them back at around 50 percent of their value — a discount Khan raised from 20 percent while in office.
The ruling coalition of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) parties has for months alleged Imran Khan, former prime minister, and his wife, Bushra Maneka, received lavish gifts worth millions during trips abroad. They included luxury watches, jewellery, designer handbags and perfumes.
During the proceedings on Thursday, the government expressed concern that such disclosure could lead to “unnecessary media hype” and potentially damage Pakistan’s international relations.
The government’s position was presented by Additional Attorney General Nasar Ahmed at the hearing, which was conducted by Justice Asim Hafeez.
Ahmed provided the court with a written response from the government detailing Toshakhana rules and the government’s disclosure policy. The response stated that the Prime Minister’s Office had deemed information on Toshakhana gifts to be classified, as it could cause damage to Pakistan’s international relations.
The government also argued that the Right of Access to Information Act, 2017 provided exemptions for information that could harm Pakistan’s international relations, as well as information that was considered private.
Despite this, the government stated that the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has formed a committee to develop a new Toshakhana policy based on international best practices and transparency, and the recommendations and new policy are awaiting approval.
Reacting to the government position, Fawad Chaudhry, senior vice president of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), expressed surprise at the government’s response to the hearing, stating that the issue of Toshakhana gifts was a top priority for the government until recently, but now they seem to be trying to avoid transparency and potential exposure.
