ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Caretaker Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture Jamal Shah has deposited a valuable gift in Toshakhana which was received by him during his recent visit to Qatar.
According to a press release received here on Monday, the gift was a valuable bronze sculpture of falcon, whereas the minister received the gift from the Minister of Culture State of Qatar Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani as a gesture of goodwill.
Jamal Shah said that this gift belonged to the nation and that’s why he had deposited it in Toshakhana.
The federal minister further said that he would not retain any of the gift items presented to him during meetings with diplomats or any foreign visit in the future.
Controversy Around Toshakhana Gifts
It is worth noting here that the issue of gifts related to Toshakhana became viral when news appeared on media about the former prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife for not revealing details of the gift he received during his foreign visits. Later the former Prime Minister was found guilty by the court.
In another case Former Prime Minister Yusaf Raza Gillani during his tenure as PM in 2008-13, faced the same charges where his wife didn’t return a necklace to Toshakahna, which the PM and her wife received during a foreign visit.
In March 2023, the then federal government made a 466-page record of Toshakhan open for the public while uploading it on the official website. According to the website former president Pervez Musharraf, Former Prime Ministers Nawaz Sharif, Shaukat Aziz, Yousuf Raza Gillani, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Imran Khan and some other dignitaries were among the recipients of the gifts.
