PM surrenders Rs350m gifts

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday surrendered the gifts worth over Rs350 million, which he received during his recent visits to the Gulf states.

The gifts include two jewel watch sets valuing approximately Rs270 million. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also directed that these gifts be permanently displayed for public in the PM House under special security measures.

It is pertinent to mention that former prime ministers Imran Khan, Nawaz Sharif and Yousuf Raza Gilani took most of the valuable gifts given to them by the foreign dignitaries.

However, in an unprecedented manner, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has decided not to retain any of the gifts, directing these gifts received from friendly Gulf states will be put on display in the PM House.

A well-placed cabinet source, on the condition of anonymity, revealed to this correspondent that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was given expensive gifts by the rulers of three Gulf states during his recent visits.

One ruler gifted a very expensive watch with matching pen, ring and cuff link and a Tasneem, which is exact replica of the famous gift that was given to former prime minister Imran Khan that he had sold out for millions of rupees, while the watch set given to PM Shehbaz Sharif has an assessed value of Rs100 million, The News has learnt.

Besides, another watch gifted by a friendly Gulf state has been assessed around Rs170 million, much more expensive than the watches given to the former prime ministers which they had taken home.

The source also revealed that an area in the PM House has been declared the exhibition area with security cameras and glass cabinets with security features, where all these super expensive gifts have been put on display in this enclosure for the guests and visitors to the PM Office.

The gifts given by the foreign dignitaries and states to the top leadership of Pakistan have always been a matter attention for the media as almost all of them were taken by the recipients for personal use, while some were even sold out in the open market.

Former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Yuosuf Raza Gilani took expensive cars gifted to them by the foreign states, while on the other hand, ex-PM Imran Khan took all of the gifts that he had received.

In addition, the Pakistani government recently denied access to the information regarding the Toshakhana gifts to an applicant, claiming that the requested detail is ‘classified’.

On April 28, the government issued a letter in response to a request regarding the disclosure of information pertaining to the gifts received by the top leaders of Pakistan since 1947. In response to the request of Abuzar Salman Khan Niazi, the Cabinet Division wrote: “The requested information is classified and cannot be provided as per Clause-7 (f&g) and Clause 16 {1(a) (ii)} of the Rights of Access to Information Act 2017.”

This correspondent reported earlier that the incumbent Shehbaz-led government is also working on a new policy which will be introduced soon, in which every detail about the gift given to any public office holder will be made public for transparency.