From Musharraf to Shehbaz: Toshakhana gifts record declassified

ISLAMABAD: For the first time in the country’s history, the federal government Sunday declassified the record of Toshakhana gift beginning in 2002.

A 446-page record of gifts from 2002 to March 2023 has been released, which includes the details of gifts received by the presidents and prime ministers, including Nawaz Sharif, Imran Khan, Asif Ali Zardari, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and General (retd) Pervez Musharraf. All of them took away jewel class sets and other gifts by paying minimal or no costs at all.

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif is the only ruler who retained no expensive or jewel-class gift from the Toshakhana and surrendered them, revealing the latest Toshakhana record from 2002 till now.

Interestingly, Nawaz Sharif, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Asif Ali Zardari and Shahbaz Sharif were also gifted jewel-class sets containing a watch, a pair of cufflinks, a pen and a ring.

It is pertinent to mention that the famous Makkah design watch gifted to former prime minister Imran Khan contained the same set type. The same kind of set was gifted to Nawaz Sharif Toshakhana's department. Likewise, Nawaz Sharif’s wife took a jewel-class gift which was worth over 54 million rupees at that time from their own government.

One gifted wristwatch to the incumbent prime minister Shahbaz Sharif was valued at Rs140 million by the cabinet division and is now on display at the prime minister’s house for the general public. All other expensive gifts such as antique-designed cufflinks and other jewellery are also on display at the PM House, reveals the current Tosha Khana record.

The latest record reveals that Asif Ali Zardari took 181 gifts, Nawaz Sharif 55, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi 27, Imran khan 112 and Gen Pervaiz Musharraf 126 from Toshakhana.

Asif Ali Zardari as president of Pakistan retained all gifts that he received while holding the office.

In his five years tenure, Zardari received the most gifts as president of Pakistan from 2002 till now, shows the data. In 2008, he retained 17 gifts, 15 in 2009, 94 in 2010, 35 in 2011, 16 in 2012 and four in 2013.

Zardari took most of the gifts free of cost and paid 10 percent or even less for the ones he took home.

The record shows Nawaz Sharif retained 55 gifts during his tenure as prime minister from 2013 to 2017. In 2013, he retained eight gifts, three in 2014, 24 in 2015, and four in 2016 and 2017 each until he was removed as prime minister following the order of the apex court.

During one of his trips, he received one jewellery box which was valued at Rs41 million at that time from the Toshakhana department. Nawaz Sharif took away gifts paying 10 to 15 per cent of the value they were assessed at.

Shahid Khaqan Abbasi took home all the gifts he received. The record shows that Abbasi’s family along with his wife and sons received jewel-class gifts which were assessed at millions of rupees.

The value of one jewellery set gifted to the wife of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was assessed at Rs100 million at that time. The other family members of Abbasi took away gifts having a value of more than 20 million rupees.

Abbasi and his family took nine gifts in 2017 and 18 gifts in 2018. Shahid Abbasi retained gifts at 10 to 20 percent of the value at which they were assessed, revealing the data.

General Pervaiz Musharraf retained a total of 126 gifts during his tenure as president of Pakistan from 2002 to 2008.

The gifts were retained at 15 percent of the assessed value at that time. In 2002, Musharraf retained 70 gifts. Likewise, he retained 4 gifts in 2003, 18 in 2004, eight in 2005, 16 in 2006, eight in 2007 and two in 2008 after which he stepped down from the precedency.

Musharraf took gifts by paying 15 percent of their actual value or which was assessed by the Toshakhana Department.

The record shows that from 2018 to 2022, Imran Khan as prime minister took away 112 gifts that he and his spouse received. The gifts retained by him include the notorious three watches and other gifts given to him and Bushra Bibi, his wife.