TOSHAKHANA GIFTS: On Sunday, the government released information about foreign gifts that public office holders such as presidents, prime ministers, federal cabinet members, politicians, bureaucrats, retired generals, judges, and journalists had received from 2002 to 2022 and kept.
The Cabinet Division updated the details of Toshakhana on their website.
Prominent individuals who benefited from the Toshakhana gifts include President Dr. Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, former prime minister Imran Khan, ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif, ex-president Asif Ali Zardari, late military dictator Pervez Musharraf, former premier Shaukat Aziz, ex-PM Yousuf Raza Gilani, ex-PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, ex-PM Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, ex-PM Zafarullah Khan Jamali, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Khursheed Kasuri, Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Jehangir Tarin, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, and Dr. Attaur Rehman among others.
Govt releases Toshakhana gift records from 2002 onwards
Toshakhana Document
According to the documents, the majority of the gifts were kept by the office holders without any charge, except for a few exceptions.
During their visits, Mr Zardari and Nawaz Sharif each received a bulletproof vehicle and kept them after paying some money to the Toshakhana.
And then, PTI Chairman Imran Khan and his wife received five precious wristwatches, ornaments, and other items.
Pervez Musharraf and Shaukat Aziz kept hundreds of foreign gifts without paying anything.
Furthermore, As a reciprocal gesture, these public officeholders, particularly the rulers, gave away gifts worth millions of rupees to foreign delegates.
Nawaz Sharif
On April 20, 2008, the PML-N supreme leader received a Mercedes Benz car as a gift, which was valued at Rs4.25m.
The former PM decided to keep the car and paid Rs0.636m to do so, according to the document.
Moreover, The details of in what capacity Mr Sharif received the vehicle were not mentioned in the document.
Asif Ali Zardari
The details disclosed that on January 26, 2009, Mr Zardari kept a BMW 760 Li white (security version), which was worth Rs27.3 million. The former president paid just over Rs4m to keep the car.
Furthermore, In March 2011, he kept a wristwatch worth Rs1m and paid Rs158,250 for the watch and some other items.
He kept a wristwatch worth Rs1.25m and paid Rs189,219 for the watch and some other items, In June 2011.
And then, In October 2011, the PPP leader kept a Cartier wristwatch worth Rs1m and made a payment of Rs321,000 for the watch and a gun.
Imran Khan
Mr Khan was gifted five precious wristwatches, including a Graff watch, worth Rs3.8 million. He decided to keep these gifts in Oct 2018 and paid Rs0.754m to do so.
In September 2018, he kept a Graff wristwatch worth Rs85m, a pair of cufflinks worth Rs5.6m, a pen worth Rs1.5m, and a ring worth Rs8.75m. He paid Rs20m for these items to keep them.
Moreover, Soon after, he retained another Rolex watch worth Rs1.5m and paid Rs294,000 for it.
In November 2018, he kept another Rolex wristwatch worth Rs900,000 and paid Rs338,600 for the watch and some other items.
In October 2019, he kept a boxed watch assessed at Rs1.9m and paid Rs935,000 for it.
Moreover, Mr Khan kept another Rolex watch assessed at Rs4.4m and paid Rs2.4m for the watch and a number of other gifts, In September 2020.
In the same month, his wife Bushra Bibi kept a necklace worth Rs10m, a bracelet worth Rs2.4m, a ring worth Rs2.8m, and a pair of earrings worth Rs1.85m. She paid a sum of Rs9m to keep these gifts.
Arif Alvi
In October 2019, Samina Alvi, wife of President Dr Arif Alvi, paid Rs865,000 to retain a necklace worth Rs1.19m along with other items in the jewellery box.
The president himself paid Rs1.2m in February 2022 to retain a Rolex wristwatch worth Rs2.5m.
On February 3, 2003, Sheikh Rashid retained dozens of gifts, including two gold coins, by paying a mere Rs3,420.
Khurshid M Qasuri received several gifts in 2005 and retained them free of cost.
Furthermore, In November 2012, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf paid Rs218,000 to retain a Graff wristwatch assessed at Rs890,000 along with other items.
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