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

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  • 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.

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Fazlur Rehman wants new elections to be held.

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Speaking to a crowd in Karachi, Maulana Fazlur Rehman claimed that meetings were “sold.” “President House and the Sindh Assembly were also sold,” he continued.

The head of JUI-F insisted on holding fresh elections right away in order to preserve the integrity of the democratic process.

He went on, “The results of the most recent elections are unacceptable and they were rigged.” In order to guarantee that the people’s opinion is heard and their mandate is honored, the JUI-chief called for new elections.

Additionally, Maulana Fazlur Rehman criticized the federal government’s foreign policy, including its position on Israel and Palestine. He declared, “We are being punished for standing with Palestine and against Israel.”

Speaking before a public assembly in Karachi, Maulana Fazlur Rehman asserted that gatherings were “sold”. He added, “Sindh Assembly and President House were sold.”

In order to safeguard the democratic process, the chairman of JUI-F asked that new elections be held immediately.

“It’s unacceptable that the results of the recent elections were rigged,” he stated. The JUI-chief demanded fresh elections in order to give the people’s voice a chance to be heard and their mandate to be respected.

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In the Toshakhana case, the PTI founder contests the NAB notification.

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The Islamabad High Court (IHC) was asked to set aside the NAB notice in a plea submitted by Imran Khan’s representatives, Salman Safdar, Usman Riaz, and Khalid Yousaf, according to the information.

Regarding the Toshakhana issue, NAB Rawalpindi called the PTI founder, who is detained, and his spouse, Bushra Bibi, on April 16.

Bushra Bibi, the former first lady of Pakistan, and Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), were the subject of a new investigation by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) yesterday.

In a letter to the deputy superintendent of Adiala Jail and call-up notices to Imran and Bushra, the anti-graft body also asked for their attendance during the research.

Case of Toshakhana
In the Toshakhana case, an Accountability Court (AC) on January 31 imposed a 14-year prison sentence on the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and his spouse, Bushra Bibi.

AC Judge Muhammad Bashir delivered the decision. For ten years, the founder of PTI and his spouse were likewise prohibited from holding any public office.

A Rs. 787 million fine was also imposed by the judge.

Prior to this, in connection with the cipher case, Khan and his foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi received 10-year prison sentences under the Official Secrets Act.

In a case concerning their marriage during the latter’s Iddat period, they were each given seven years in prison one day later.

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US Ambassador Donald Blome praises Maryam’s portrayal of the Chief Minister of Punjab.

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According to information, Maryam Nawaz was congratulated by the US envoy on being the first female Chief Minister of Punjab during their meeting.

America’s goal to deepen economic relations with Pakistan, especially in the areas of manufacturing, IT, and agriculture, was conveyed by Ambassador Bloom. Maryam’s people-oriented efforts and initiatives were commended by him, who called them “commendable”.

The ambassador received assurances from Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz that Punjab will offer a safe haven for US investment. She emphasised that a stable administration is essential to guiding Pakistan out of its economic crisis and welcomed US engagement in a number of areas.

The Chief Minister also emphasised how her government’s economic initiatives had reduced inflation.

That Maryam Nawaz and Donald Bloome are meeting for the second time is worth mentioning. It was before to her election as Punjab’s Chief Minister that the first meeting was held.

At Maryam Nawaz’s home in Murree, Senior Vice President of the Pakistan Muslim League-N, Donald Blome, the US Ambassador to Pakistan, had a meeting.

They talked on the value of cooperation in a number of sectors, including as commerce, the economy, security, peace, and regional stability, according to the details.

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