The Lahore High Court (LHC) has directed the government to submit the records of Toshakhana from 1947 to 2001 within a week.
The instruction was given during the hearing of the government's intra-court appeal, which was made in opposition to the LHC's single bench order requiring the release of the State Gift Depository's records from 1990 to 2001.
A two-member bench made up of Justices Shahid Bilal Hassan and Raza Qureshi took up the case and questioned the additional attorney general on the government's arguments.
The lawyer then informed the court that the bench had mandated making the names of those who provided the gifts public.
He claimed that starting in 2002, the Toshakhana documents had already been made public by the authorities.
But he claimed that in order to maintain good relations with other countries, the names of the people who supplied the presents weren't made public.
The government had posted all of the information on its website, according to the additional attorney general, but it desired relief enough to publish the identities.
Justice Qureshi then questioned whether or not those individuals were acknowledging their gifts at this point.
Justice Bilal added, "We are also required to declare it if anyone gives us a gift."
The AAG argued at this point that if somebody is speaking on behalf of a state, he must disclose any gifts. The documents before 2002 are not computerized and confirmed, but the government was not attempting to conceal them, he claimed.
Despite the government's objections, Justice Asim Hafeez ordered the publication of the whole Toshakhana record from 1990 to 2001 on March 22.
Sharing the source of a gift was something the federal government objected to, and it declared it would appeal the decision. Justice Hafeez responded that you have the right to contest this.
The decree said that "no one shall retain the gift without payment."
The Toshakhana records from 2002 onward were made public earlier this month by the federal government, which exposed the political elite who benefited from the depository.
The instruction was given during the hearing of the government's intra-court appeal, which was made in opposition to the LHC's single bench order requiring the release of the State Gift Depository's records from 1990 to 2001.
A two-member bench made up of Justices Shahid Bilal Hassan and Raza Qureshi took up the case and questioned the additional attorney general on the government's arguments.
The lawyer then informed the court that the bench had mandated making the names of those who provided the gifts public.
He claimed that starting in 2002, the Toshakhana documents had already been made public by the authorities.
But he claimed that in order to maintain good relations with other countries, the names of the people who supplied the presents weren't made public.
The government had posted all of the information on its website, according to the additional attorney general, but it desired relief enough to publish the identities.
Justice Qureshi then questioned whether or not those individuals were acknowledging their gifts at this point.
Justice Bilal added, "We are also required to declare it if anyone gives us a gift."
The AAG argued at this point that if somebody is speaking on behalf of a state, he must disclose any gifts. The documents before 2002 are not computerized and confirmed, but the government was not attempting to conceal them, he claimed.
Despite the government's objections, Justice Asim Hafeez ordered the publication of the whole Toshakhana record from 1990 to 2001 on March 22.
Sharing the source of a gift was something the federal government objected to, and it declared it would appeal the decision. Justice Hafeez responded that you have the right to contest this.
The decree said that "no one shall retain the gift without payment."
The Toshakhana records from 2002 onward were made public earlier this month by the federal government, which exposed the political elite who benefited from the depository.