LAHORE: A Lahore High Court two-judge bench on Thursday allowed another opportunity to the federal government to submit a complete record of Toshakhana articles from 1947 to 2001.

The bench comprising Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan and Justice Shakil Ahmad was hearing an intra court appeal of the government challenging a decision by a single bench that asked it to release the source of gifts from 1990 to 2023.

At the outset of the hearing, the bench asked Additional Attorney General Mirza Nasar Ahmad about the progress in the case and the record summoned by the court.

The law officer said at least one month time was required to collect the scattered record of the Toshakhana prior to 2000. He said two special committees had beenformed by the government on the matter.

Justice Hassan allowed the request of the law officer and adjourned the hearing for a date after the upcoming summer vacation in the high court.

However, the judge reminded the law officer that the government had no other option but to submit the required record in the court.

At a previous hearing, the additionalattorneygeneralhadtoldthe bench that the government did not have a complete record of Toshakhana from 1947 to 1990.

The bench had warned the government of summoning all the responsible officers, even those who stood retired to explain the unavailability of Toshakhana record.

On March 22, a single bench comprising Justice Asim Hafeez had ordered the federal government to release a complete record of the Toshakhana articles from1990 to 2001, along with details of the gift giving foreign dignitaries and countries.

The appeal by the government said the single bench was seized with a writ petition seeking an order to declassify all information with regard to Toshakhana gifts received by Pakistani dignitaries and government officials from foreign states.

However, it said, the federal cabinet decided, during the petition`s pendency, to declassify the Toshakhana record from 2002 to 2023, but without disclosing the source of gifts.

The appeal said it was decided to keepthe source secretbecause the federal government believed it would have an adverse effect on the country`s relations with other nations.

It asked the division bench to set aside the impugned decision of the single bench.