ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament, led by Chairman Junaid Akbar Khan, convened to examine irregularities in the management of Toshakhana gifts and the questionable amendments to the Toshakhana rules. The committee reviewed an audit report highlighting significant discrepancies in the handling of gifts received by government officials, raising alarms about the system’s transparency and accountability.
Originally approved by the Cabinet in 1993, the Toshakhana rules have seen several amendments, some of which were made without proper Cabinet approval. These changes occurred in 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2017, and 2018. Among the most controversial changes were those that allowed officials, including the Prime Minister, to retain gifts by paying a higher percentage of their value. Initially set at 30 percent, this amount was later raised to 50 percent, with a new proposal now suggesting the possibility of retaining gifts by paying 100 percent of their value.
A new Toshakhana Act 2024 has been enacted, and the Cabinet is expected to approve new rules soon. The Cabinet Secretary clarified that only the Cabinet has the authority to amend the Toshakhana rules.
During the meeting, Committee member Tariq Fazal raised concerns about whether any study had been conducted on how other nations manage official gifts. The Cabinet Secretary responded by pointing out that countries like the United States have strict regulations and specific limits on gift acceptance.
Audit officials also revealed that records from 1990 to 2002 were missing, raising serious questions about accountability. While records from 2002 onward are available on the Cabinet’s website, older documents are archived and may take time to retrieve.
Senator Afnanullah and other committee members called for the immediate uploading of all Toshakhana records from 1947 onward to the website to ensure transparency. The state of the National Archives also came under scrutiny, with Senator Shibli Faraz highlighting a lack of research activity.
In response, the Cabinet Secretary acknowledged past challenges but reassured that improvements have been made, including modern scanning techniques for better organization of records.
Chairman Junaid Akbar Khan concluded the session by ordering the retrieval of all Toshakhana records from 1947 to the present for a full and transparent review.
