ISLAMABAD   -    The Toshakhana (treasure house) disclosures have exposed Pakistani elites’ unlimited greed and lust for freebies. Not only the beneficiaries have held top positions but they are also otherwise filthy rich who can virtually even buy ‘con­sciences’ at will.

But the elites’ love for either freebies or discounted prices for extremely ex­pensive stuff seems endless. The moral high horse of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi also got a major dent as his family retained gifts. Abbasi – Prime Minister from Au­gust 2017 to May 2018 - has retained all the gifts he received. The record indi­cates that Abbasi’s family along with his wife and sons received jewel-class gifts worth millions.

According to the Toshakhan record, the value of one jewellery set gifted to the wife of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was assessed at Rs 100 million at that time. The other family members of Abbasi have taken home gifts worth more than Rs 20 million. The former premier re­tained gifts at 10 to 20 percent of the as­sessed value.

The document contains records of presents kept by former Prime Minis­ters Shaukat Aziz, Nawaz Sharif, Yusuf Raza Gilani, Imran Khan and Raja Parvez Ashraf, as well as late former president Parvez Musharraf.

According to the records, Imran Khan spent Rs 85 million on a diamond and gold watch, Rs 5.67 million on a pair of cufflinks, Rs 1.5 million on a pen, and Rs 8.7 million on a ring. The former PM paid almost Rs 20 million to keep all the gifts. In addition, he paid Rs 754,000 to keep a watch worth Rs 3.88 million.

According to the records released by the government, 224 gifts were received in 2022, 116 gifts in 2021, 175 gifts in 2018 and 91 gifts in 2014 while govern­ment officials received 177 gifts in 2015.

The Toshakhana department, which was established in 1978, and all the pub­lic officeholders, including parliamen­tarians and bureaucrats, are bound to deposit gifts in it. 

The department came under the spotlight when the Election Commis­sion of Pakistan initiated proceedings against Imran Khan for disclosing the details of Toshakhana gifts retained by him in the declaration.

Last year, the ECP had also disqual­ified the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf chief as a member of the National Assembly in the Toshakhana case for not disclos­ing the gifts. 

Ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) supremo Nawaz Sharif ac­quired Mercedes Benz in 2008, ac­corfing to the document. The market price of the luxury car was Rs 4,25,5000 which was purchased at the price of only Rs 636,000 from Toshakhana

Moreover, he purchased a glass set at the price of Rs 43,000 and Rs 6,000 paid for a carpet. He paid Rs 240,000 for cuf­flink and a watch worth Rs1,200,000. He acquired a vase worth Rs 8,000 without paying any amount.

Pakistan People’s Party Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari paid Rs 79,005 for the Jovani watch and horse model worth Rs 540,000. He also received gifts of BMW worth Rs 5,078,000 and a Toyota Lexus worth Rs 5,000,000. The former pres­ident paid Rs 16,100,000 for purchas­ing both vehicles. He acquired a paint­ing worth Rs10,000 without paying any amount. He purchased a BMW luxury car at the price of 4,100,000 in 2009 whose actual market value was Rs 27,300,000.

Incumbent PM Prime Minister She­hbaz Sharif did not pay for dozens of items of Toshakhana, including a cow model (Rs 8,000), decanter (Rs 25,000), wall hanging (Rs 17,000), bowl, dagger (Rs 50,000), booklet (Rs 10,000), sta­dium model (Rs 15,000), onyx plate (Rs 2,200), horse metal sculpture (Rs 28,000), chocolate and honey (Rs 12,000), jar (Rs 10,000), Uzbek prod­ucts including books (Rs33,000) and painting (Rs 28,000). The PM howev­er, returned all the previous gifts to the Toshakhana. 

PM Shehbaz Sharif paid Rs 185,000 for golden vase whose actual price was Rs 400,000. Then Chief Minister, She­hbaz Sharif purchased a decoration piece at Rs 5,000 whose actual price was Rs 35,000 in 2013. Sharif kept ce­ramic bowl (Rs20,000) and a painting with a frame (Rs12,000) without pay­ing a single penny to the exchequer. Oth­er items included vase (Rs22,000), Or­ange Train model (Rs10,000), souvenir (Rs8,000), honey (Rs1,000), herbal tea (Rs3,000), jam (Rs6,000), three footballs (Rs15,000), decanter (Rs22,000), Arabi­an coffee container (Rs26,000), Arabian coffee (Rs26,000), bowl set (Rs10,000), carpet (Rs30,000).

Former PM Shaukat Aziz paid Rs 24,000 for Toshakhana gifts worth Rs 170,000.

PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari – who is the incumbent Foreign Min­ister - received vase worth Rs 6,500 without paying any amount to the ex­chequer as permitted by the law for low-valued gifts.

Information Minister Marriyum Au­rangzeb’s mother paid Rs 30,000 for two watches worth 115,000 in 2009, accord­ing to the record.

While the top politicians may have justifications about retaining gifts ac­cording to the existing rules, it does expose always high appetite for the gifts on offer.

The gifts of course are not a one-sided affair. The Pakistani Presidents, Prime Minister and other high-ranking offi­cials also have to return the gestures.

The gifts that are given to the for­eign leaders and officials are paid from the national exchequer, in which case the gifts given to the Pakistani leaders should also be deposited in the same ac­count.

Toshakhana details have been made public at a time when the elections are around the corner. The Punjab and Khy­ber Pakhtunkhaw elections are even closer, although there are doubts they will actually be held.

In any case, the general elections to elect the new National Assembly and the provincial assemblies will be held before the end of the current year, which makes is quite close.

The former top leaders, who also play lead roles in their parties will find them­selves short of time to convince the pub­lic about the legality of their decisions to retain the gifts at highly subsidized rates. This becomes worse amid the crushing inflation and shrinking buying power of the common man.

For the next few weeks, the media will also continue to focus more on the Toshakhana disclosures rather than the political parties’ promises for the next elections.

Most of the Pakistani voters have very short memories and will hardly remem­ber the good deeds, if any, of the top pol­iticians and will be ready to ask ques­tions about how the Toshakhana gifts were ‘looted.’

Interestingly, the top leaders will have little room to accuse each other of wrongdoing as almost all of them have benefited from the luxury.

Shehbaz Sharif may be in a better posi­tion to face the public after returning all the previous gifts. Shahid Khaqan Abba­si may find it a little difficult considering his preaching of principles, rule of law and democracy. This could also weaken his case against Maryam Nawaz who is effectively the second-in-command.

Abbasi had reservations when she was appointed as the Senior Vice President of the PML-N and only recently recon­ciled with her. The PML-N leadership might also take this excuse to push him behind Maryam Nawaz. 

PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto is better placed to lead his party amid the chanc­es of equal chance of a good show along with the PML-N and the PTI in the gen­eral elections. Asif Ali Zardari always finds justifications and would be hard­ly affected. 

Whatever happens in the elections is yet to be seen but the public response to the Toshakhana disclosures has almost unanimously been negative against the top politicians ahead of the polls.