The Senate on Sunday unanimously passed a bill (The Toshakhana Regulation and Management Bill 2023) proposing heavy penalties for officials who fail to declare state gifts and refuse to deposit them in the Toshakhana (state gift repository).
The Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Shahzad Awan presented the bill in the upper house of the parliament.
As per the bill’s provisions, the president, prime minister, chief ministers, governors, parliamentarians, bureaucrats, officers of the armed forces, members of the judiciary, and their family members are required to promptly declare and deposit any gifts received in the Toshakhana.
Non-compliance with this requirement could lead to heavy penalties: five times more than the assessed market value of the gift.
The scope of the bill will extend to government officials and private individuals included in official delegations, and those employees exempted from the law will be from Grade 1 to Grade 4 who receive cash gifts.
The Toshakhana – a repository under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division which stores precious gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats, and other officials by heads of other governments and foreign dignitaries – has been at the center of attention in recent times due to high-profile cases involving the concealment of gifts by public office holders. The issue has notably been brought to the forefront in recent months after accusations against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan for allegedly concealing such gifts during his tenure as prime minister.
The government bill comes as a response to address gaps and deficiencies in the current system, aiming to establish clearer regulations governing the reporting and depositing of gifts received by government officials.
According to the bill, violation of the rules regarding gifts will result in a penalty equivalent to five times the value of the gift.
Government officials or private individuals will be required to submit the gifts following the prescribed procedure and within the specified time.
After federal government approval, detailed regulations concerning Toshakhana will be established.
