All and sundry cashed in on Toshakhana.

LAHORE -- The release of a list of Toshakhana beneficiaries since the year 2002 has raised various questions, including the under-assessment of the value of gifts and the unsaid policy of reciprocation, which officials say has yet to come under scrutiny.

Data released by the government over the weekend showed that it wasn't just PTI chief Imran Khan who benefitted from the rules regarding the purchase of gifts from the official state registry; rather, nearly every prime minister from Shaukat Aziz to Shehbaz Sharif has purchased or retained items from the Toshakhana.

The list includes the usual suspects, such as politicians and bureaucrats, but the list of retentions and 'their pettiness' is astounding: shirts, handkerchiefs, sarees, clothes for shirts, watches, fruits, ornamental daggers and cufflinks etc.

For example, former president Asif Ali Zardari received at least 182 presents during his stint as the president and retained almost all of them after making some payments against these presents. Mr Zardari retained a Lexus and a BMW worth a little more than Rs107 million but paid Rs16.17m to retain these vehicles on Jan 26, 2009. These gifts are among the most expensive presents retained by a public office holder.

Imran Khan, who is also facing court proceedings, had retained gifts worth more than Rs100m by Sept 24, 2018, just weeks after coming to power, and paid Rs20.1m to keep them. Along with his wife, the former premier got more than 111 gifts and retained most of them, as per the released documents. On May 18, 2021, a separate gift received by the wife of the former PM was taken after paying Rs2.9m against a value of Rs5.8m.

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his wife Kulsoom Nawaz received at least 65 presents. The former PM chose to keep most of these gifts that include expensive watches and a bulletproof vehicle. In Jan 2016, Mr Sharif received presents worth Rs38 million and paid Rs7.6 million to retain these gifts. In Feb 2016, Mr Sharif paid a little more than Rs3.2 million to retain presents worth over Rs16 million. Kulsoom Nawaz paid Rs10.8 million to acquire precious gifts worth more than Rs54 million on Jan 13, 2016.

Sameena Shahid, the wife of former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, retained a gift worth more than Rs99 million after she paid Rs19.9 million in Oct 2017 against a jewellery set. Mr Abbasi's son Nadir Khaqan paid over Rs3m to retain a Rs17 million wristwatch on April 17, 2018. Similarly, his other son...