NEW DELHI: Even as former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan is facing heat in the Toshakhana case, new records made public last week reveal that freebies were doled out to several former Pakistan PMs, presidents, government employees and even their valets.
According to a report in Dawn, gifts worth over Rs 8.2 million (Pakistani rupee) had been kept for free since 2002.
In Pakistan, Toshakhana refers to a government-owned facility where gifts, both domestic and foreign, received by the President, Prime Minister, or other government officials are stored.
Live updates: Toshakhana case against Imran Khan
These gifts are then cataloged, recorded, and sometimes displayed for public viewing.
How PMs, presidents scooped up freebies
Last week, the Pakistan government made public details of foreign gifts retained by officials amid the controversy over the Toshakhana gifts sold by former premier Imran Khan.
These details were released to the public for the first time.
The 446-page document showed those who benefited include President Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, former prime minister Imran Khan, ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif, ex-president Asif Ali Zardari, late military dictator Pervez Musharraf, former premier Shaukat Aziz, ex-PM Yousuf Raza Gilani, ex-PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, ex-PM Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, ex-PM Zafarullah Khan Jamali, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Khursheed Kasuri, Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Jehangir Tarin, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, and Attaur Rehman among others.
Among these, former PM Shaukat Aziz topped the list by retaining as many as 700 gifts valued at over Rs 2.7 million for himself and his wife, the report said.
Meanwhile, late former president Pervez Musharraf and his wife kept over 77 gifts for free, which are estimated to be worth just under Rs 1 million.
Dawn reported that during Musharraf’s rule, even low-level government employees kept free luxury watches for themselves.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan and his wife received five precious wristwatches, ornaments, and other items.
Former president Zardari and ex-PM Nawaz Sharif received one bulletproof vehicle each during their visits and retained them after paying some money to the Toshakhana.
The records revealed that Zardari kept around 150 gifts without paying their estimated value of over Rs 420,000.
Meanwhile, after coming to the power in 2017, ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his wife kept gifts with an estimated value of around Rs 150,000 for free.
Notably, Sharif’s successor Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who was in power for just one year, took away gifts worth Rs 480,000 for free.
The report said that Imran retained the biggest proportion of such gifts during his tenure as PM from 2019 to 2022. He retained gifts worth over Rs 1.2 million.
Current Prime Minsiter Shehbaz Sharif, who has not even completed a year in office, has already retained gifts worth Rs 370,000.
From Mercedes to luxury watches …
The records show that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif was gifted a Mercedes Benz car on April 20, 2008, worth Rs 4.25 million.
The former PM retained it after paying just Rs 0.636 million, as per the document. The document did not mention in what capacity Sharif received the vehicle.
Zardari retained a BMW 760 Li by paying just over Rs 4 million, while the vehicle’s value was fixed at Rs 27.3 million.
Imran Khan received five precious wristwatches, including a Graff watch, worth Rs 3.8 million. He retained these gifts in October 2018 after paying a sum of Rs 0.754 million.
In September 2018, he retained a Graff wristwatch worth Rs 85 million, a pair of cufflinks worth Rs 5.6 million, a pen worth Rs 1.5 million, and a ring worth Rs 8.75 million after paying Rs 20 million for these items.
Another Rolex watch worth Rs 1.5 million soon followed and the former prime minister retained it after paying Rs 294,000 for the precious item.
In November 2018, Khan retained another Rolex wristwatch worth Rs 900,000 after paying a sum of Rs 338,600 for the watch and some other items.
In October 2019, he retained a boxed watch, assessed at Rs 1.9 million, after paying a sum of Rs 935,000.
In September 2020, the PTI leader retained another Rolex watch, assessed at Rs 4.4 million, after paying Rs 2.4 million for the watch and a number of other gifts.
In the same month, his wife Bushra Bibi kept a necklace worth Rs 10 million, a bracelet worth Rs 2.4 million, a ring worth Rs 2.8 million, and a pair of earrings worth Rs 1.85 million after paying a sum of Rs 9 million for these gifts.
President Dr. Arif Alvi’s wife, Samina Alvi, retained a necklace worth Rs 1.19 million in October 2019 after paying Rs 865,000 for it and other items in the jewellery box.
The president himself retained a Rolex wristwatch worth Rs 2.5 million in February 2022 after paying Rs 1.2 million.
Sheikh Rashid retained dozens of gifts, including two gold coins, on February 3, 2003, after paying a mere Rs 3,420.
Khurshid M Qasuri received several gifts in 2005 and retained these items free of cost.
Even government clerks took away luxury gifts
Dawn reported, citing official documents, that Talat Mahmood, an upper division clerk (UDC) at the PM Secretariat, kept a wristwatch with an estimated price of Rs 240,000 for free.
Another UDC kept a Chaumet wristwatch, estimated to be Rs 45,000, for free.
A lance naik and a police ASI kept two Rolex wristwatches, with an estimated price tags of Rs 265,000 and Rs 115,000, free of cost.
Even a valet at the PM Secretariat and an SSG gunman kept luxury watches from the Toshakhana.
According to the report, even women police constables had a fondness for expensive watches.
Two lady constables kept Trebor wristwatches worth Rs 45,000 each for free.
“Their indulgence was in line with the law allowing recipients who were government employees up till grade-10 to keep gifts, irrespective of the value assessed,” the report said.
It said that the value of these gifts came down significantly when the PPP government took power in 2008.
(With inputs from PTI)
According to a report in Dawn, gifts worth over Rs 8.2 million (Pakistani rupee) had been kept for free since 2002.
In Pakistan, Toshakhana refers to a government-owned facility where gifts, both domestic and foreign, received by the President, Prime Minister, or other government officials are stored.
Live updates: Toshakhana case against Imran Khan
These gifts are then cataloged, recorded, and sometimes displayed for public viewing.
How PMs, presidents scooped up freebies
Last week, the Pakistan government made public details of foreign gifts retained by officials amid the controversy over the Toshakhana gifts sold by former premier Imran Khan.
These details were released to the public for the first time.
The 446-page document showed those who benefited include President Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, former prime minister Imran Khan, ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif, ex-president Asif Ali Zardari, late military dictator Pervez Musharraf, former premier Shaukat Aziz, ex-PM Yousuf Raza Gilani, ex-PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, ex-PM Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, ex-PM Zafarullah Khan Jamali, Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, Khursheed Kasuri, Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Jehangir Tarin, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, and Attaur Rehman among others.
Among these, former PM Shaukat Aziz topped the list by retaining as many as 700 gifts valued at over Rs 2.7 million for himself and his wife, the report said.
Meanwhile, late former president Pervez Musharraf and his wife kept over 77 gifts for free, which are estimated to be worth just under Rs 1 million.
Dawn reported that during Musharraf’s rule, even low-level government employees kept free luxury watches for themselves.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan and his wife received five precious wristwatches, ornaments, and other items.
Former president Zardari and ex-PM Nawaz Sharif received one bulletproof vehicle each during their visits and retained them after paying some money to the Toshakhana.
The records revealed that Zardari kept around 150 gifts without paying their estimated value of over Rs 420,000.
Meanwhile, after coming to the power in 2017, ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his wife kept gifts with an estimated value of around Rs 150,000 for free.
Notably, Sharif’s successor Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who was in power for just one year, took away gifts worth Rs 480,000 for free.
The report said that Imran retained the biggest proportion of such gifts during his tenure as PM from 2019 to 2022. He retained gifts worth over Rs 1.2 million.
Current Prime Minsiter Shehbaz Sharif, who has not even completed a year in office, has already retained gifts worth Rs 370,000.
From Mercedes to luxury watches …
The records show that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif was gifted a Mercedes Benz car on April 20, 2008, worth Rs 4.25 million.
The former PM retained it after paying just Rs 0.636 million, as per the document. The document did not mention in what capacity Sharif received the vehicle.
Zardari retained a BMW 760 Li by paying just over Rs 4 million, while the vehicle’s value was fixed at Rs 27.3 million.
Imran Khan received five precious wristwatches, including a Graff watch, worth Rs 3.8 million. He retained these gifts in October 2018 after paying a sum of Rs 0.754 million.
In September 2018, he retained a Graff wristwatch worth Rs 85 million, a pair of cufflinks worth Rs 5.6 million, a pen worth Rs 1.5 million, and a ring worth Rs 8.75 million after paying Rs 20 million for these items.
Another Rolex watch worth Rs 1.5 million soon followed and the former prime minister retained it after paying Rs 294,000 for the precious item.
In November 2018, Khan retained another Rolex wristwatch worth Rs 900,000 after paying a sum of Rs 338,600 for the watch and some other items.
In October 2019, he retained a boxed watch, assessed at Rs 1.9 million, after paying a sum of Rs 935,000.
In September 2020, the PTI leader retained another Rolex watch, assessed at Rs 4.4 million, after paying Rs 2.4 million for the watch and a number of other gifts.
In the same month, his wife Bushra Bibi kept a necklace worth Rs 10 million, a bracelet worth Rs 2.4 million, a ring worth Rs 2.8 million, and a pair of earrings worth Rs 1.85 million after paying a sum of Rs 9 million for these gifts.
President Dr. Arif Alvi’s wife, Samina Alvi, retained a necklace worth Rs 1.19 million in October 2019 after paying Rs 865,000 for it and other items in the jewellery box.
The president himself retained a Rolex wristwatch worth Rs 2.5 million in February 2022 after paying Rs 1.2 million.
Sheikh Rashid retained dozens of gifts, including two gold coins, on February 3, 2003, after paying a mere Rs 3,420.
Khurshid M Qasuri received several gifts in 2005 and retained these items free of cost.
Even government clerks took away luxury gifts
Dawn reported, citing official documents, that Talat Mahmood, an upper division clerk (UDC) at the PM Secretariat, kept a wristwatch with an estimated price of Rs 240,000 for free.
Another UDC kept a Chaumet wristwatch, estimated to be Rs 45,000, for free.
A lance naik and a police ASI kept two Rolex wristwatches, with an estimated price tags of Rs 265,000 and Rs 115,000, free of cost.
Even a valet at the PM Secretariat and an SSG gunman kept luxury watches from the Toshakhana.
According to the report, even women police constables had a fondness for expensive watches.
Two lady constables kept Trebor wristwatches worth Rs 45,000 each for free.
“Their indulgence was in line with the law allowing recipients who were government employees up till grade-10 to keep gifts, irrespective of the value assessed,” the report said.
It said that the value of these gifts came down significantly when the PPP government took power in 2008.
(With inputs from PTI)