Govt seeks time from IHC to submit details of gifts presented to PM

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has sought more time from Islamabad High Court (IHC) to submit details of gifts presented to Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan by world leaders, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

During the hearing, Justice Gul Hassan Aurangzeb said that if there is any defense gift, the government should not tell it, but why is it forbidden to make every gift public?
If a country gives a necklace as a gift, what is the harm in making it public?

The judge asked why the government was embarrassed by not giving gifts details. The gifts received by the rulers belong to the people and not to them. Is it possible to get gifts from international leaders while not holding public office?, the justice asked.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) asked why the government does not keep all the gifts in the museum. The government should make public the gifts for 10 years.

Justice Gul Hassan Aurangzeb further said that how many gifts did the government estimate from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR)? How can relations be ruined by telling the public who gave what gift?

Read more: Details of gifts received by PM Imran Khan to be made public soon: Shahbaz

Later, the hearing was adjourned for two weeks.

Earlier, Special Assistant to PM on Political Affairs Shahbaz Gill had said that gifts received by Prime Minister Imran Khan during foreign visits are deposited to Toshakhana.

While responding to a debate on social media regarding secrecy maintained in the gifts received by the premier during official tours, Shahbaz Gill had said that whenever a country presents a gift, it is neither advertised nor compared with any other country.