Toshakhana gifts before 2002: Cabinet body expresses its dissatisfaction with audit paras

ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary committee raised significant concerns Wednesday regarding the authenticity of deposited gifts, procedural irregularities, and the absence or poor maintenance of records for Toshakhana gifts prior to 2002.

A meeting of Public Accounts Committee (PAC) held under Chairman Junaid Akbar to examine the Audit Report of Cabinet Division for year 2023-24.

Members committee dissatisfied with the affairs of Toshakhana even after promulgation of Toshakhana (Management and Regulation) Act 2024 in April 2024.

Secretary Cabinet Division Kamran Ali Afzal apprised the members committee that rules have yet to be framed. The draft of the rules under Act would be submitted to CCIL prior to the approval from Cabinet Division.

A Cabinet committee under Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Toshakhana has been constituted to frame the rules keeping in view the cultural context and diplomatic norms.

Members committee raised concerns over a reference made in the audit para that says, “In 1956, when the then Prime Minister of Pakistan visited brother country, the members of the Pakistan delegation were given some very expensive gifts by the Chinese Government. However, these people deposited imitations bought in Hong Kong in the Toshakhana and retained the original gifts. It is necessary to frame proper and realistic rules of Toshakhana in such a way that honest people are not placed at a disadvantage”.

The secretary Cabinet refused to confirm the authenticity of the gifts in Toshakhana which were appraised by the FBR’s official appraisers. He said he was ready to confirm and verify the authenticity of the gifts in case private experts/firm would appraised the gifts. “We gave hiring of private firm thrice to verify the originality of gifts but no one submit any bid”, he said.

He maintained that no cabinet secretary had confirmed the originality of Toshakhana gifts in the past but provided only physical verification.

Member Committee from PTI Shibli Faraz said that no firm applied because of politics, adding that the archive and record was not maintained properly.

In the meeting, members’ committee further question the legal status of procedures which replaced Rules of Business 1973, in which, Toshakhana was allocated to the Cabinet Division. These procedures were continuously amended i.e. in 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2011 and 2018.

Audit is of the view that amendments and replacing of the Toshakhana rules with the procedures and relaxation of the rules was irregular and unauthorised. The secretary said it might be approved by cabinet in the past as it had only authority to amend the rules. However, the secretary said he would get back after seen the record.

Member Committee Naveed Qamar said, that means the cabinet has not confirmed that the gifts are original or replicas.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025