Toshakhana: How many gifts current, former rulers retained

After the Cabinet Division released data of the Toshkhana gifts retained in the last two decades, it has been gleaned from the data that 970 people, including incumbent and former rulers, retained expensive gifts worth Rs760 million.

However, once adjusted to inflation rates of today, those gifts value at Rs2 billion today.

According to the Cabinet Division data, 171 gifts were auctioned that generated a revenue of Rs190 million, which is only 3% of their value.

Apart from the free gifts, 2,000 items worth Rs630 million were retained against just Rs10 million.

Most gifts retained

Interestingly, former prime minister Shaukat Aziz retained the most number of 885 gifts from the Toshakahana.

In 2004, 2005 and 2006, the maximum number of 1,238 gifts were retained worth Rs580 million.

Also Read: Another Toshakhana scandal involving Imran Khan emerges

Among these, former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi kept 111 gifts, incumbent Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his spouse 90 gifts, while Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari retained 18 gifts received from friendly countries.

Former president Asif Zardari received 192 gifts, while former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani received 19 gifts in 41 international visits.

Incumbent, former presidents, first ladies

President Arif Alvi and his wife retained 151 gifts. Former military dictator and president Pervez Musharraf and his wife Sehba received 119 gifts.

Former prime minister Zafarullah Jamali received 86 gifts from the state repository.

In 2006, Musharraf, Shaukat Aziz and Jam Yusuf took away three valuable vehicles without informing the Cabinet Division.

In 2022, Pakistan received a total of 224 gifts worth Rs5.2 million; 116 gifts worth Rs132 million in 2021; the worth of gifts received in 2020 was Rs116 million, while the worth of the 203 gifts received in 2019 was Rs222 million.

Children of former prime ministers – Maryam Nawaz, Hussain Nawaz, Abdullah Abbasi, Ali Musa Gilani and Fiza Gilani – also retained gifts.

Pakistan received 59 gifts in 2023.