Government should make Toshakhana records from 1990 to 2001 public: LHC

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday directed the government to make public the record of Toshakhana gifts received by Pakistani officials between 1990 and 2001.

The order was issued by Justice Asim Hafeez while he conducted a hearing on the petition filed by Munir Ahmed, urging the government to make public the complete details of Toshakhana gifts since 1947.

Lahore High Court seeks Toshakhana records from 1947 onward

“Any gifts received by the country from friendly nations should also be made public and nothing should be kept hidden,” said Judge Hafeez.

He emphasised that no one could retain any gift without making the necessary payment, adding that complete transparency should be maintained.

While hearing the petition, the judge called for presenting the records “in whatever form they are.”

“The court will pronounce the verdict after having a full review [of the Toshakhana records]. We will also see who were these gifts given by,” he said.

He also called for reviewing why the gifts were given.

Here is the Toshakhana gifts’ record since 2002

The petition requested transparency of Toshakhana gifts received by political rulers and bureaucrats from foreign dignitaries since 1947 and demanded making all records public.

On March 13, the LHC had ordered the federal government to submit Toshakhana records from 1947 onward.

A day before that the federal government had made public the record of Toshakhana from 2002 to 2023 with details of foreign gifts received by various former presidents, prime ministers, ministers and other important personalities over the past 21 years.

2002 to 2023: Govt makes Toshakhana record public

The 466-page Toshakhana record was uploaded on the Cabinet Division website with details of foreign gifts received over the last 21 years. The record was released on the instructions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The names of former presidents, former prime ministers, ministers and government officials are among the recipients of the foreign gifts in the Toshakhana record.

Imran Khan’s Toshakhana case

Last year, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disqualified former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan in the Toshakhana disqualification reference.

Toshakhana case: Court suspends Imran Khan’s non-bailable arrest warrant

As per the verdict, criminal proceedings would be initiated against Imran for misdeclaration of gifts he received during his tenure as prime minister.

Earlier in March 2023, a district and sessions court in Islamabad issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against PTI chairman in a hearing of the case for not appearing in court. Later, the Islamabad High Court suspended the arrest warrant.