Remember when former prime minister Imran Khan’s (futile) attempt to wriggle out of the molehill-turned-Toshakhana-mountain had sparked a frenzy in the government camp? Going by the recent historic decision of the Cabinet Division to unveil the gifts record received in the last 21 years, their uproar seems to have lost all its tenacity. As allegations are replaced by hollow defences amid a sprinkling of counter-allegations, the writing on the wall cautions: those who live in glasshouses shouldn’t throw stones. Nothing screams the need for a clear Toshakhana policy like the ongoing stickiness of the affairs where on one hand, the entire government machinery is hell-bent on crucifying the opposition using silver bullets but there’s a discomforting silence the moment tables try to turn. An interesting demand put forward by the PTI regarding the gift retained by military generals and judges underscores how there may be more to the picture than meets the eye. But as is the case with many revolutionaries, the lone wolf first needs to understand how accountability begins at home. Only being upfront about their own share in the game allows them the ground to poke holes in others. A publicly accessible archive wherein all details from procurement to retention could only be wished for months ago when the sitting government, walking on the same path as its predecessor, insisted on keeping the information within wraps. Now that everyone is talking about the elephant in the room, the only viable solution remains to plug all the loopholes of the past and ensure that no representative is allowed the breathing space to milk the national treasury. Having been made the laughing stock in the eyes of the international community, one might discount the utility of such changes as shutting the barn door after the horse has bolted. Luckily for us, it’s never too late to turn a new leaf. Forcing those in possession of these gifts to cough up actual price tags, might be a commendable place to lay down the first brick. *