Govt directed to give details of Toshakhana

Advocate Niazi had filed a request for the implementation of June 29 decision of PIC

ISLAMABAD:

Raising questions pertaining to the gifts received by presidents and prime ministers since 1947, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ordered the government to respond within a month.

IHC's Justice Mian Gul Hasan Aurangzeb issued a written order for the December 26 hearing.

As a petitioner, Advocate Abuzar Salman Khan Niazi filed a request for the implementation of the June 29 decision of the Pakistan Information Commission (PIC).

The court has written in its order that according to the petitioner, on April 23, the Cabinet Division was asked for information in this regard, to which it replied that the information is classified and cannot be provided.

Following this, it noted, the petitioner appealed against this to the PIC, who ordered on June 29 to provide the requested information under the Right to Information Act.

It is worth mentioning here that during the last hearing, Deputy Attorney General Syed Ahsan Raza Shah had apprised the court that he was not sure whether the Toshakhana record before 1990 was available.

“Such information should be present on websites,” he had added.

Justice Aurangzeb had asked why the petitioner was limiting the information to the extent of former presidents and prime ministers, and why the public servants should not be included in the list.

"This shows your intention," Justice Aurangzeb had remarked.

He had added that any petition like this was only related to the prime minister.
Earlier last month, the Lahore High Court (LHC) sought the details of gifts taken from the Toshakhana since 1947.

Justice Asim Hafeez sought details of the Toshakhana gifts on citizen Munir Ahmed's plea.

During the hearing, the federal government's lawyer had apprised the court that the details could not be provided.

However, the court had directed the authorities concerned to submit the details of gifts taken from Toshakhana since 1947, by January 16.

PTI chief Imran Khan was facing a scandal regarding the Toshakhana gifts for allegedly indulging in corrupt practices, which the former premier denies.