• Govt decides to public record of Toshakhana in line with LHC order.
• Govt had submitted details of Toshakhana gifts since 1947 in court.
• Upcoming cabinet meeting will make final decision in this regard.

In a major development, the federal government on Thursday gave its nod to publish the record of the Toshakhana, confirmed Defence Minister Khawaja Asif.

The move came days after the government apprised the Lahore High Court (LHC) that the record of the Toshakhana gifts since 2002 was being “declassified” and would be uploaded on the internet. 

The LHC on January 19 directed the government to submit an affidavit declaring the details of the Toshakhana gifts as “classified”.

In a statement, the defence minister said the record of Toshakana will be uploaded on the website of the federal cabinet.

It is pertinent to mention here that the authorities on February 22 submitted a sealed record of Toshakhana gifts received by the rulers and the bureaucrats from foreign dignitaries since the creation of Pakistan in the court.

Deputy Attorney General Asad Bajwa apprised the court that it is a “classified” record and the court can open it.

The final decision in this regard, however, will be made in the upcoming meeting of the federal cabinet.

What is the Toshkhana?

According to the law, whenever a head of state receives a gift from another state or country, they have to give it to the Toshakhana. If they wish to keep the gift, they have to pay a certain percentage of the value of the gift decided by relevant authorities.

These gifts either remain deposited in the Toshakhana or can also be auctioned and the money acquired through it is to be deposited into the national treasury.

The Toshakhana is under the microscope ever since it emerged that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan purchased gifts he received as prime minister and sold them off.

The PTI chief is being accused of being involved in corrupt practices, which the former premier denies.