ISLAMABAD   -  A senior lawmaker of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has submitted a question in the Senate Secretariat seeking details of gifts received by the Toshakhana during three-year rule of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). 

PML-N Senator Irfan-ul-Haque Siddiqui through the question has asked from the Minister-In-Charge of the Cabinet Division to provide details of the gifts, including actual worth of each gift as well as their total number, received by the Toshakhana (state treasure house) from foreign countries during September 1, 2018 to August 31, 2021. 

The move of the opposition legislator came after the Cabinet Division recently challenged the order of Pakistan Information Commission (PIC) seeking details of the gifts presented to Prime Minister Imran Khan since August 2018 under Right of Access to Information Act, 2017. The government in the petition argued that record of Toshakhana is classified and disclosure of any information related to it jeopardises international ties. 

The government’s denial to provide information about gifts received by Toshakhana triggered a heated debate on the social media as many critics questioned how this information is classified and how it doesn’t fall in the ambit of Right of Access to Information Law. They called for making public the required information to ensure transparency in the government affairs. 

In the question, Senator Siddiqui said that Cabinet Division should inform about the details regarding specific gifts and their prices that were purchased by Prime Minister Imran Khan, his cabinet members, his special assistants and other government functionaries during three-year period.  

“How much money the state received as a result of sale of these gifts and how much discount was offered on the actual price of these gifts,” the senator also sought through the question. He also said that the names of those countries should also be provided to the Senate from which these gifts were received.