ISLAMABAD: The Cabinet Division released the Toshakhana record from March 2023 to December 31, 2024, during which several prominent government officials including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif received gifts.
According to a notification, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, former caretaker PM Anwarul Haq Kakar, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, former President Arif Alvi, and former chief justice Qazi Faez Isa received gifts.
The other recipients included Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Minister of Economic Affairs Ahad Cheema, Minister of Law Azam Nazeer Tarar, and federal ministers Musaddiq Malik, Rana Sanaullah, Ata Tarar, Shazain Bugti, and Jam Kamal.
As per the notification, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Aseefa Bhutto, Senator Talha Mahmood, Tariq Fatemi, Yusuf Raza Gilani, and FBR Chairman Rashid Langrial also received gift recipients.
Additionally, Vice Admiral Abdul Samad, President Zardari’s Military Secretary Brigadier Shahryar Munir Hafeez, Prime Minister’s Military Secretary Major General Tajdid Mumtaz, Chief Security Officer to Prime Minister Muhammad Imran, and former Foreign Secretary Amina Baloch were listed as beneficiaries.
Furthermore, former caretaker ministers, including finance minister Shamshad Akhtar, foreign minister Jalil Abbas Jilani, IT minister Dr. Umar Saif, commerce minister Gohar Ejaz, and energy minister Muhammad Ali received gifts from March 2023 to December 31.
As per the record, during the last 2 years, government officials received books, decoration pieces, souvenirs, and watches as gifts. The other gifts include teapots, carpets, shawls and daggers, prayer mats, pens, cups, perfumes, and handkerchiefs.
Most of the recipients deposited their gifts in Toshakhana complying with the new policy introduced by the Shehbaz-led government in March 2023.
Under a policy, gifts valued at $300 or less could be retained by the recipient, while all others had to be deposited with Toshakhana.
Those who paid the payment to retain the gifts include Lt. Gen. (retd.) Iftikhar Ali Khan, PM Shehbaz Sharif, Former president Dr Arif Alvi, former federal minister Syeda Abida Hussain, and several former foreign secretaries.
