THE exchange of gifts by visiting foreign dignitaries is an age-old practice which is an expression of the gesture of goodwill at the international level. Generally, the gifts are of two types: state to state, and person to person.

The state gifts are the property of the state, and a mention to this effect is made at the time of presentation, whereas a visiting dignitary presents an item of gift specifically to the VVIP of the host country for his person. Every country has its own rules and regulations to deal with such gifts.

We in Pakistan have the Toshakhana system of disposal of gifts. A historical fact is being stated below to bring out the Islamic concept of exchange of gifts. An event from the Islamic history is stated as under:

Caliph Umar once visited Egypt where the governor while briefing him also talked about the gifts given by a foreign delegation. The governor had classified the foreign gifts into two categories: personal and official. The governor further explained that these items have been given to him for his personal use that were other than the state-to-state gifts.

The caliph asked the governor to consider the so-called ‘personal gifts’ also state gifts. The governor complied with the order of the caliph. But from his body language, it looked like he had some hesitation and reservations, which was noticed by the caliph.

He asked the governor if he thought he would have been presented those gifts even if he was not the governor, to which the governor replied in the negative. The caliph stressed that whatever the governor had received was because of his governorship and official position. As such, those gifts were the state property and national trust, and not private property.

The story is candidly clear as to the disposal of both official and private gifts extended by the foreign dignitaries in an Islamic country.

Lt-Col (retd) Syed Iftikhar Ahmed
Karachi

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2022