Toshakhana file exposes elites’ limitless greed

ISLAMABAD   –    The Toshakhana (treasure home) disclosures have uncovered Pakistani elites’ limitless greed and lust for freebies. Not solely the beneficiaries have held high positions however they’re additionally in any other case filthy wealthy who can just about even purchase ‘con­sciences’ at will.

However the elites’ love for both freebies or discounted costs for very ex­pensive stuff appears limitless. The ethical excessive horse of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi additionally received a serious dent as his household retained items. Abbasi – Prime Minister from Au­gust 2017 to Might 2018 – has retained all of the items he acquired. The file indi­cates that Abbasi’s household alongside along with his spouse and sons acquired jewel-class items price tens of millions.

In response to the Toshakhan file, the worth of 1 jewelry set gifted to the spouse of Shahid Khaqan Abbasi was assessed at Rs 100 million at the moment. The opposite members of the family of Abbasi have taken residence items price greater than Rs 20 million. The previous premier re­tained items at 10 to 20 p.c of the as­sessed worth.

The doc incorporates data of presents stored by former Prime Minis­ters Shaukat Aziz, Nawaz Sharif, Yusuf Raza Gilani, Imran Khan and Raja Parvez Ashraf, in addition to late former president Parvez Musharraf.

In response to the data, Imran Khan spent Rs 85 million on a diamond and gold watch, Rs 5.67 million on a pair of cufflinks, Rs 1.5 million on a pen, and Rs 8.7 million on a hoop. The previous PM paid virtually Rs 20 million to maintain all of the items. As well as, he paid Rs 754,000 to maintain a watch price Rs 3.88 million.

In response to the data launched by the federal government, 224 items had been acquired in 2022, 116 items in 2021, 175 items in 2018 and 91 items in 2014 whereas govern­ment officers acquired 177 items in 2015.

The Toshakhana division, which was established in 1978, and all of the pub­lic officeholders, together with parliamen­tarians and bureaucrats, are certain to deposit items in it. 

The division got here underneath the highlight when the Election Commis­sion of Pakistan initiated proceedings in opposition to Imran Khan for disclosing the main points of Toshakhana items retained by him within the declaration.

Final 12 months, the ECP had additionally disqual­ified the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf chief as a member of the Nationwide Meeting within the Toshakhana case for not disclos­ing the items. 

Ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) supremo Nawaz Sharif ac­quired Mercedes Benz in 2008, ac­corfing to the doc. The market worth of the luxurious automotive was Rs 4,25,5000 which was bought on the worth of solely Rs 636,000 from Toshakhana

Furthermore, he bought a glass set on the worth of Rs 43,000 and Rs 6,000 paid for a carpet. He paid Rs 240,000 for cuf­flink and a watch price Rs1,200,000. He acquired a vase price Rs 8,000 with out paying any quantity.

Pakistan Folks’s Get together Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari paid Rs 79,005 for the Jovani watch and horse mannequin price Rs 540,000. He additionally acquired items of BMW price Rs 5,078,000 and a Toyota Lexus price Rs 5,000,000. The previous pres­ident paid Rs 16,100,000 for purchas­ing each autos. He acquired a paint­ing price Rs10,000 with out paying any quantity. He bought a BMW luxurious automotive on the worth of 4,100,000 in 2009 whose precise market worth was Rs 27,300,000.

Incumbent PM Prime Minister She­hbaz Sharif didn’t pay for dozens of things of Toshakhana, together with a cow mannequin (Rs 8,000), decanter (Rs 25,000), wall hanging (Rs 17,000), bowl, dagger (Rs 50,000), booklet (Rs 10,000), sta­dium mannequin (Rs 15,000), onyx plate (Rs 2,200), horse metallic sculpture (Rs 28,000), chocolate and honey (Rs 12,000), jar (Rs 10,000), Uzbek prod­ucts together with books (Rs33,000) and portray (Rs 28,000). The PM howev­er, returned all of the earlier items to the Toshakhana. 

PM Shehbaz Sharif paid Rs 185,000 for golden vase whose precise worth was Rs 400,000. Then Chief Minister, She­hbaz Sharif bought a ornament piece at Rs 5,000 whose precise worth was Rs 35,000 in 2013. Sharif stored ce­ramic bowl (Rs20,000) and a portray with a body (Rs12,000) with out pay­ing a single penny to the exchequer. Oth­er objects included vase (Rs22,000), Or­ange Practice mannequin (Rs10,000), memento (Rs8,000), honey (Rs1,000), natural tea (Rs3,000), jam (Rs6,000), three footballs (Rs15,000), decanter (Rs22,000), Arabi­an espresso container (Rs26,000), Arabian espresso (Rs26,000), bowl set (Rs10,000), carpet (Rs30,000).

Former PM Shaukat Aziz paid Rs 24,000 for Toshakhana items price Rs 170,000.

PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari – who’s the incumbent International Min­ister – acquired vase price Rs 6,500 with out paying any quantity to the ex­chequer as permitted by the legislation for low-valued items.

Info Minister Marriyum Au­rangzeb’s mom paid Rs 30,000 for 2 watches price 115,000 in 2009, accord­ing to the file.

Whereas the highest politicians could have justifications about retaining items ac­cording to the prevailing guidelines, it does expose at all times excessive urge for food for the items on supply.

The items in fact should not a one-sided affair. The Pakistani Presidents, Prime Minister and different high-ranking offi­cials additionally should return the gestures.

The items which can be given to the for­eign leaders and officers are paid from the nationwide exchequer, through which case the items given to the Pakistani leaders must also be deposited in the identical ac­rely.

Toshakhana particulars have been made public at a time when the elections are across the nook. The Punjab and Khy­ber Pakhtunkhaw elections are even nearer, though there are doubts they’ll truly be held.

In any case, the overall elections to elect the brand new Nationwide Meeting and the provincial assemblies will likely be held earlier than the top of the present 12 months, which makes is kind of shut.

The previous high leaders, who additionally play lead roles of their events will discover them­selves in need of time to persuade the pub­lic concerning the legality of their choices to retain the items at extremely sponsored charges. This turns into worse amid the crushing inflation and shrinking shopping for energy of the frequent man.

For the subsequent few weeks, the media can even proceed to focus extra on the Toshakhana disclosures moderately than the political events’ guarantees for the subsequent elections.

Many of the Pakistani voters have very brief reminiscences and can hardly remem­ber the great deeds, if any, of the highest pol­iticians and will likely be able to ask ques­tions about how the Toshakhana items had been ‘looted.’

Curiously, the highest leaders may have little room to accuse one another of wrongdoing as virtually all of them have benefited from the luxurious.

Shehbaz Sharif could also be in a greater posi­tion to face the general public after returning all of the earlier items. Shahid Khaqan Abba­si could discover it slightly tough contemplating his preaching of rules, rule of legislation and democracy. This might additionally weaken his case in opposition to Maryam Nawaz who’s successfully the second-in-command.

Abbasi had reservations when she was appointed because the Senior Vice President of the PML-N and solely not too long ago recon­ciled along with her. The PML-N management may additionally take this excuse to push him behind Maryam Nawaz. 

PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto is best positioned to guide his get together amid the chanc­es of equal probability of a superb present together with the PML-N and the PTI within the gen­eral elections. Asif Ali Zardari at all times finds justifications and could be exhausting­ly affected. 

No matter occurs within the elections is but to be seen however the public response to the Toshakhana disclosures has virtually unanimously been detrimental in opposition to the highest politicians forward of the polls.