Govt declassifies Toshakhana records: Pot calling the kettle black

The PDM government on Sunday released the much-awaited records of Toshakhana gifts received by public office holders from foreign governments and dignitaries since 2002. Established in 1974, 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. The department has been in the news in recent months in light of proceedings against former prime minister Imran Khan for “not sharing details” of Toshakhana gifts. Last month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had announced the government’s plans to make the entire record public. He had also barred the officials from retaining gifts worth more than $300. The names that appeared in the publicised Toshakhan records included Pervez Musharraf, Shaukat Aziz, Yousaf Raza Gilani, Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan, Arif Alvi and Shehbaz Sharif. Three-time former prime minister and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif retained a Mercedes Benz (Rs4.2m) in April 2008 after paying Rs636,888 for it. In November 2913, he retained a Rolex wristwatch (Rs1.18m) after paying a total of Rs243,000 for it and some other items. He also kept a Piaget wristwatch (Rs1m) in January 2015 after paying Rs240,000 for it and a box of perfumes. In January 2016, he retained a Christopher Claret watch (Rs2m), a ring (Rs19.5m) and a pair of cufflinks (Rs16m) after paying a total of Rs7.6m for them and some other items. Meanwhile, his wife Kulsoom Nawaz retained a bracelet (Rs12.7m) and a necklace and earring (Rs41.6m) after paying Rs10.8m for them. In February 2016, Nawaz retained a Dela Cour watch (Rs3.2m), a ring (Rs8m) and a pair of cufflinks (Rs5m) after paying Rs3.2m for them. In October 2016, he retained a Rolex watch (Rs1.2m) and another Rolex watch (Rs850,000) after paying Rs469,000 for them and some other items. In March 2017, his son, Hussain Nawaz, retained a Rolex watch (Rs940,000) after paying Rs186,000 for it. Meanwhile, the PML-N supremo himself retained a diamond necklace (Rs1m) after paying Rs207,560 for it and a table watch. In May 2017, Nawaz retained a Rolex wristwatch (Rs4m) after paying Rs808,000 for it. Former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan in September 2018 retained a Graff wristwatch (Rs85m), a pair of cufflinks (Rs5.6m), a pen (Rs1.5m) and a ring (Rs8.75m) after paying Rs20m for them. In October 2018, he retained a Rolex watch, assessed at Rs3.8 million, after paying Rs754,000 for it. Another Rolex watch (Rs1.5m) followed in the month after paying Rs294,000 for it. In October 2019, he retained a boxed watch, assessed at Rs1.9m, after paying Rs935,000 for it.In September 2020, Imran retained yet another Rolex watch, assessed at Rs4.4m, after paying Rs2.4m for it and a number of other gifts. In the same month, his wife Bushra Bibi also kept a necklace (Rs10m), bracelet (Rs2.4m), ring (Rs2.8m) and a pair of earrings (Rs1.85m) after paying Rs9m for them. It must be mentioned that former prime minister and National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf also retained a Graff wristwatch assessed at Rs890,000 in November 2012 after paying a total of Rs218,000 for it and other items. Former president and PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari in January 2009 retained a BMW car (Rs57.8m) and Toyota Lexus (Rs50m) after paying a total of Rs16.1m for them and another BMW car (Rs27.3m) after paying Rs4m. In March 2011, he retained a wristwatch (Rs1m) after paying Rs158,250 for it and some other items. In June 2011, he retained a Corum wristwatch (Rs1.25m) after paying a total of Rs189,219 for it and some other items. Another Cartier wristwatch (Rs1m) followed in October 2011 with a payment of Rs321,000 for it and a gun. According to the Cabinet Division data, the value of the gifts given to General (R) Pervez Musharraf in 2004 were over Rs6.5 million. The value of the watch given to Pervez Musharraf in 2005 was worth Rs0.5 million. Musharraf received dozens of valuable watches and jewelry boxes at different times which he had kept after paying money, according to the law. According to the official website, former prime minister Shaukat Aziz got a watch worth Rs850,000 which was auctioned for Rs355,000. Aziz also kept hundreds of gifts worth less than Rs10,000 without payment. According to the records, former prime minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali installed the model of Kaaba as a gift in the Prime Minister House, while a jewelry box given to the wife of Pervez Musharraf in 2003 was valued at Rs2,634,387. Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi received a Rolex watch worth Rs25 million as a gift, while in April 2018, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi’s son Abdullah Abbasi received a watch worth Rs55 million. Similarly, another son of Shahid Khaqan, Nader Abbasi, received a watch worth Rs10.70 million as a gift, which he kept with himself after depositing Rs3.395 million. According to the Cabinet Division website, in 2018, Prime Minister’s Secretary Fawad Hasan Fawad received a watch worth Rs1.9 million. In addition, in 2018, Brigadier Waseem, the military secretary of the prime minister, received a watch worth Rs2 million, which he gave to Toshakhana and he deposited Rs0.374 million and kept the gift. According to Toshakhana records, President Arif Alvi received a watch, Holy Quran and other gifts worth Rs10.7 million in December 2018. President Alvi kept the Holy Quran and deposited other gifts in Toshakhana. Similarly, in December 2018, First Lady Begum Samina Alvi also received a necklace worth Rs0.8 million and a bracelet worth Rs5.1 million, which she deposited in Toshakhana. In 2005, PML-N leader Ameer Muqam received a watch worth Rs0.55 million. PML-N leaders Ahsan Iqbal and Khawaja Aisf also retained precious watches.