Politics

Lower-ranking security officials set example by depositing gifts in Toshakhana

Published

1 year ago

Farwa

Security guards were gifted wristwatches in 2019.
Most govt officials retained expensive, valuable gifts, record shows.
97% of gifts in Gen (retd) Parvez Musharraf’s tenure were retained.

ISLAMABAD: Two lower-rank security officials — a constable and a sepoy — set an example by depositing their gifts in Toshakhana in 2019 when everyone including the prime minister, president and federal ministers were retaining gifts they received during their foreign tours.

According to the Toshakhana report released by the Cabinet Division, SSG gunman Sepoy Atiq ur Rehman and Constable Malik Qasim Mehmood were gifted wristwatches of Paul Picot in 2019, the assessed value of which was Rs120,000 each, The News reported Tuesday.

However, both security personnel deposited the gifts in Toshakhana. In December 2019, then-prime minister Imran Khan visited Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

The report has reflected several interesting incidents. One such example is former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Parvez Elahi who was gifted a tractor, a motorcycle and a buffalo along with a calf. He declared the gifts but did not deposit those or paid the retention price.

A perusal of the report shows most of the government officials who received valuable and expensive gifts have retained them. Whereas, less valuable gifts have either been deposited in Toshakhana or auctioned by the government. More than 90% of the gifts reflected in the report were retained by the officials who received them during their foreign visits.

During former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf’s regime, 97% of gifts received by government officials including himself, then-prime minister, ministers, and military officials were retained. From 2002 to 2008, a total of 2,249 gifts were declared with Toshakhana out of which around 70 gifts were auctioned while the rest were retained by the officials.

The report shows that in 2002, a total of 257 gifts were declared with Toshakhana of which around a dozen were auctioned and the remaining gifts were retained by the officials. In 2003, 290 gifts were declared of which around 14 were auctioned and the rest of the gifts were retained.

The report further shows that in 2004, 350 gifts were declared of which only seven were auctioned; 475 gifts were declared in 2005 of which around eight were auctioned and the remaining were retained by government officials. In 2006, 381 gifts were declared of which around 20 were auctioned.

In 2007, a total of 381 gifts were declared of which around six were auctioned whereas the remaining gifts were retained by government officials. In 2008, 115 gifts were declared with Toshakhana of which very few were auctioned.

The top recipient of these gifts from 2002 to 2008 was Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf. Whereas some of the ministers during Musharraf’s regime including Jahangir Khan Tareen, Shaukat Aziz, Umar Ayub deposited most of the gifts in Toshakhana.

Latest News

The PML-N Punjab chapter convenes today to discuss organizational issues.

Published

12 hours ago

Farwa

Former prime minister and leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Nawaz Sharif, has called a meeting of the PML-N Punjab chapter for today (Friday).

The conference was called by PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, who reportedly gave the president of the party’s Punjab chapter, Rana Sanaullah, a call to call a meeting of the party’s provincial officials.

Nawaz Sharif is now visiting China.

According to sources, Nawaz Sharif’s leadership role and organizational issues inside the PML-N Punjab would be discussed at the meeting. The meeting’s agenda may also include discussions about the possible growth of the federal and Punjabi cabinets.

According to other sources, Nawaz Sharif gave Rana Sanaullah instructions to gather information on political and organizational positions in Punjab as well as to revitalize the party at the local level.

Latest News

Saad Rafiq: Ali Amin Gandapur’s threat to storm Islamabad is a major issue.

Published

12 hours ago

Farwa

Ali Amin Gandapur, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has threatened to storm Islamabad, according to Khawaja Saad Rafique, a former minister and leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). This is a very serious situation.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa administration has reportedly launched attacks on the federal capital in the past in an attempt to seize Islamabad, according to Saad Rafiq on the social media platform X (previously Twitter).

“However, PTI got nothing and it resulted in creating chaos, hatred and economic destruction,” he continued.

He added, “If the anarchists attack Islamabad to occupy it this time too, it will become impossible for them to return as rulers.”

According to the leader of the PML-N, fascist behavior will no longer be accepted, and the dirty politics of violence, fire, and ransacking will no longer be effective.

The PTI, he said, has to act rationally and refrain from inciting another May 9.

Latest News

PTI founder’s temporary bail in the attack on Jinnah House case is increased

Published

12 hours ago

Farwa

Information connected to the attack on Jinnah House and three other cases were heard by ATC duty judge Arshad Javed.

A video link from Adiala jail will be used by the court to commemorate the presence of former prime minister Imran Khan in all three cases.

Notably, the Punjab government has assigned Imran Khan, the founder of the PTI, seven cells in Adiala Jail, and fourteen security guards have been assigned to guard him. This information was previously communicated to the LHC.

According to AGP Punjab Khalid Ishaq, “six additional cells have been provided for Imran Khan in order to ensure appropriate security for him.”

According to the article, “14 police officers have been assigned to guard Imran Khan at Adiala Jail, whereas one officer is assigned to care for ten prisoners.

happenings on May 9
With the arrest of Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, and the former prime minister at the Islamabad High Court (IHC), violent protests erupted around the country.

With Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad calling in the armed forces to maintain peace and order, the party workers, incensed over their chairman’s imprisonment, staged rallies in both big cities and remote areas.

A demonstration by “PTI workers” resulted in attacks on Army posts including Jinnah House, the home of the Corps Commander in Lahore.