Toshakhana Records.

A month after PM Shehbaz Sharif's announcement of making the Toshakhana records public, on Thursday, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif confirmed that the records would be uploaded to the Cabinet Division's website. However, no timeline has been given for when this will be done.

Releasing the data of all past and present gifts received by our leaders is an important decision, as there is absolutely no reason to keep these records classified. The gifts are only presented to the leadership because they represent Pakistan, and as such are considered the property of the state.

The rule that allows for the purchase of these gifts by those they were presented to makes no sense, especially in light of the recent allegations of undervaluing gifts before sale to make a profit. Not only do reports and allegations like this potentially cause a loss to the national exchequer, they also tarnish the reputation of the government of Pakistan in front of those that gave these gifts to us in the first place. However, given that purchasing these gifts is not illegal, the very least the government can do is...