Ijaz Kakakhel Islamabad
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Murtaza Javed Abbasi on Tuesday presented a bill in the Senate, proposing a fine of five times the value of a Toshakhana gift in case of failure to deposit the item in the repository within the stipulated time period.
The legislation describes a gift that is to be deposited in the Toshakhana as a non-perishable item received by any public office holder or private member of an official delegation from a local or foreign dignitary or company other than the gift of cash given to officers of the rank of BPS-1 to BPS-14 as tips.
The bill applies to the president, prime minister, governors, Senate chairperson and deputy chairperson, National Assembly speaker and deputy speaker, federal and provincial ministers, ministers of state, chief ministers, political secretaries, PM’s aides and advisers and members of the armed forces and judiciary, among others. It also applies to the spouses and children of the public office holders, as defined in the legislation. Established in 1974, the Toshakhana is a department under the administrative control of the Cabinet Division and stores precious gifts given to rulers, parliamentarians, bureaucrats, and officials by heads of other governments and states and foreign dignitaries. According to Toshakhana rules, gifts/presents and other such materials received by persons to whom these rules apply shall be reported to the Cabinet Division.
