Journalist remanded in custody over ‘leaked’ tax data of ex-army chief Bajwa

ISLAMABAD: A court in Islamabad granted the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) a two-day physical remand of Shahid Aslam, a journalist associated with Bol News, on Saturday, a day after he was arrested for his suspected involvement in the leak of confidential tax documents of former army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa’s family.

The investigation stems from a November report by investigative news website FactFocus, which accused Bajwa and his family of accumulating assets worth Rs12.7 billion during his six-year term in office.

The report cites tax records and wealth statements to support its claims of the alleged accumulation of assets by the family both inside and outside of Pakistan.

Subsequently, instead of questioning or denying the validity of the information, the office of Ishaq Dar said the finance minister had taken “serious notice” of the leak, calling it a violation of the tax law and a breach of official confidential data.

Days later, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), under then-Gen. Bajwa, rejected the report, claiming it was “totally untrue and based on blatant lies and malice”.

During the proceedings on Saturday, Aslam’s counsel argued the journalist’s detention was illegal and that there was no proof that Aslam had received or passed on the leaked information.

The prosecutor countered that the evidence was on Aslam’s mobile phone and laptop, which he was not providing to investigators, and that Aslam played the “role of the facilitator” in the crime. If found guilty, Aslam could face a 10-year jail sentence.

After hearing the arguments, the judicial magistrate approved the two-day physical remand of the journalist.

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