Bilawal spent own money on foreign visits: Sherry Rehman

ISLAMABAD: The issue of Toshakhana gifts, sales and recent visits of the government delegations to Sharm el-Sheikh and Geneva echoed in the Senate on Monday, as the treasury and opposition traded charges.

PTI Senator Faisal Javed, on a point of public importance, rose to demand presentation in the house the details of expenditures of the visits of prime minister, his cabinet members and other officials, including the visit to Sharm el-Sheikh. He also called for details of public money spent on COP-27, and what was the size of delegation.

He demanded referral of the issue of gifts taken away from Toshakhana so far by the heads of governments, including Imran Khan, and how many of those were acquired illegally and legally. The chair said that the house cabinet committee was already looking into it. He referred the matter to it.

Leader of Opposition Dr Shahzad Waseem contended that by presenting statistics, the cleverness could not be hidden, as the rulers tried to show that they were promised grants and not loans, which was, in fact, the other way around.

He alleged the government was eyeing aid in the name of floods. He also demanded provision of Toshakhana details to the House, alleging it should be told how many vehicles, Zardari and Nawaz Sharif got from Toshakhana.

To this, Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman responded that a question might be put and all details would be shared. She said it was for the first time in the country’s history that the foreign minister was spending from his own pocket on his foreign visits.

“Please have some awareness on what happens on which international forum. Pakistan had the honour of leadership there at Sharm el-Sheikh and made a loss and damage fund, which will not be for your gimmicks tomorrow,” she said addressing the PTI senators.

She called for clarification with regard to the gifts sold from Toshakhana, including Graff rings and jewellery. “All details have come to the fore that all these were purchased at 20 per cent value and then were sent to Dubai for sale on a private jet. This type of commerce was going on and trafficking in jewellery was under way from Toshakhana. You have opened the door and that is why I am saying so,” she remarked.

About Geneva visit, she explained that a working delegation, consisting of four ministers and two secretaries, went there. She added that they were doing photostats and other tasks on their own the whole day.

The minister hit back at the PTI saying that during their four-year stint, Rs48,000 billion loans were obtained, which was never done in the country’s history before. She continued that in four years, the PTI government doubled the loans, which were taken in 70 years because of their lavish spending and due to that the country was still sunk.

She clarified that at Geneva, there was project and programme funding for the country’s reconstruction. “The minister of KP and secretary were there and from Balochistan and other provinces as well by invitation. We had taken along all, as we had gone there to talk about Pakistan. And for these projects and programmes, funding was got and it was above all our expectations and the world acknowledged Pakistan’s resilience programme and have a look on UN Secretary General’s tweets,” she said.

The minister explained that “the success of the International Conference on Climate Resilient Pakistan in Geneva was a vote of confidence for the government of Pakistan’s 4RF plan by the world community and development partners”.

The minister said the details of what the then PTI government did at COP-26 should also be shared and “we went there not for sight-seeing and our country’s dignity was acknowledged by the world that Pakistan was G-77 leader this time.

“Why it hurts you when Pakistan is appreciated. The PTI finds it hard to digest Pakistan’s diplomatic recognition,” she wondered, addressing the PTI senators. The House also adopted a condolence resolution on tragic killing of veteran lawyer Latif Afridi and paid tribute to his services in various capacities.

During the course of proceedings, after permission from the chairman Senate, the Senate secretary mentioned names of those senators on the mike, who had not submitted their statements of assets to the Election Commission and the chair asked them to leave the House as they could not do the needful and submit their related documents. The House will now resume on Tuesday morning.