The federal government has introduced stricter rules for the management of Toshakhana, discouraging the retention of gifts by public office holders other than the president and prime minister.
The Cabinet Division has issued the Toshakhana Management and Regulation Rules 2026, under which all gifts currently held by Toshakhana and those received in the future will generally be auctioned. Proceeds from the auctions will be spent on girls’ education in underdeveloped areas.
Under the new rules, all gifts received by Toshakhana will undergo a third-party audit every financial year and will be sold through open public auctions. Cultural, historical and diplomatically sensitive gifts will be exempt from auction.
Auctions will preferably be held twice a year and at least once annually. Government officials and their family members will not be allowed to participate, while the auctions will be subject to direct media coverage.
A committee headed by the Cabinet secretary will oversee decisions relating to the gifts. It will include additional secretaries from the finance, foreign affairs, law and culture divisions and will determine which gifts are to be auctioned and which have historical significance.
The rules state that gifts received as part of diplomatic protocol must be deposited with Toshakhana within 30 days if their acceptance is unavoidable. Gifts received during foreign visits must be deposited within 30 days of return, while gifts arriving separately by another aircraft may be deposited within 60 days.
Employees in grades 1 to 4 will be allowed to retain cash awards. Failure to deposit a gift within the prescribed period may result in a complaint being filed in court.
The market value of gifts will be determined by the Federal Board of Revenue and private valuers. If the difference between the two valuations exceeds 25 per cent, the opinion of a third valuer will be treated as final. Artificial intelligence may also be used as a reference for valuation, while the Pakistan Ordnance Factories in Wah will determine the value of weapons.
The new rules also require the storage of gifts to be placed under the supervision of a Grade-20 officer. CCTV surveillance and proper locking arrangements have been made mandatory for the Toshakhana storeroom.
Records and photographs of all gifts will be published on a dedicated web portal. However, the names of the individuals and countries presenting the gifts will not be disclosed on the portal.
Read also: Details of toshakhana gifts received by PM Shehbaz Sharif, Ishaq Dar
