On Monday, the Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered the federal government to provide the details of Toshakhana gifts received from foreign dignitaries since 1947. According to the court’s directives, the details should be submitted by January 6, 2023. The data should mention who kept the assets after paying the prices. The decision was announced by Justice Asim Hafeez.
Toshakhana is a department established in 1947 and is operated under Cabinet Division. The gifts from heads of different countries, officials, bureaucrats, and parliament are stored in Toshakhana. Since Imran Khan’s case of hiding details of gifts, the department has become the prime topic of news.
The plea to disclose details was submitted last week by Lawyer Munir Ahmed through Advocate Azhar Siddique. The plea said that under Articles 19 and 19-A of the Pakistan Constitution, access to information is important for a progressive democratic country.
In the hearing held today, Sheraz Zaka, lawyer of the government, said that details of Toshakhana could not be made public as they were classified information. But the court maintained that it was the duty of the court to decide whether the details should be publicised or not.
