The Toshakhana is a department under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division and stores precious gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats, and officials by heads of other governments and states and foreign dignitaries.
According to Toshakhana rules, gifts/presents and other such materials received by persons to whom these rules apply shall be reported to the Cabinet Division.
A day ago, after initially expressing reluctance, the government publicly released the much-awaited records of Toshakhana gifts from 2002 to 2022. It had already submitted the details to the LHC on Feb 21 during the hearing of a petition seeking to make Toshakhana records public.
The plea — filed by Munir Ahmad through Advocate Azhar Siddique last year — had asked to make complete public details of the Toshakhana gifts received by political rulers and bureaucrats from foreign dignitaries since 1947.
However, on Feb 23, the federal government told the LHC that details since 2002 were being “declassified”. Upon being inquired by Justice Asim Hafeez if the government did not have the records of gifts bought before 2002, the additional attorney general replied they were not computerised.
