ISLAMABAD: The PTI on Tuesday criticised the federal government for not making public the 50-year record of Toshakhana gifts despite Lahore High Court’s orders, saying if the record was made public it would expose all the “thieves” of the country.

The LHC had last month directed the federal government to submit details of Toshakhana gifts received by the rulers and bureaucrats from foreign dignitaries since creation of the country. The court also directed the government to submit the details by Jan 16 and also sought records pertaining to purchase of these assets since 1947.

According to a statement issued by PTI’s central media secretariat on Tuesday, PTI Secretary General Asad Umar and Information Secretary Farrukh Habib said party Chairman Imran Khan had disclosed the record of all gifts he had received from Toshakhana, while the federal government was resisting the LHC orders fearing that it could put the coalition government in trouble.

Mr Umar asked why the government was reluctant to hand over the 50-year record of Toshakhana being sought by the court? “The legs of all thieves are trembling as the disclosure of the details of Toshakhana gifts will expose them,” he said.

Mr Habib said the PTI chairman had made public what he had taken from Toshakhana after making payment in accordance with the law.

However, he said, the coalition government was not submitting the record of Toshakhana to the LHC since the creation of the country because it could open their own cases.

Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2023