pakistan

Bajwa data leak: Islamabad court grants bail to journalist Shahid Aslam

Published

8 months ago

January 19, 2023

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Bajwa data leak: Islamabad court grants bail to journalist Shahid Aslam

An Islamabad sessions court on Wednesday granted bail to Bol News journalist Shahid Aslam, who was arrested by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) from Lahore last week for his alleged part in leaking personal tax data of former army chief General (retired) Qamar Javed Bajwa.

In November, a report published by investigative news website FactFocus — which describes itself as a “Pakistan-based digital media news organisation working on data-based investigative news stories — accused the army chief and his family of amassing assets worth Rs12.7 billion over the past six years.

The report cited tax records and wealth statements of the Bajwa family to corroborate its claims about the alleged accumulation of assets by the family inside and outside Pakistan.

Taking notice of the report, the finance minister had said that the leak was “clearly violative of the complete confidentiality of tax information that the law provides”.

Aslam, who has been arrested in connection with the data leak, was presented before the court of Special Judge Muhammad Azam Khan today.

During the hearing, the journalist’s lawyer requested the court to accept Aslam’s bail application.

Meanwhile, FIA prosecutor Zulfiqar Naqvi said that the journalist had refused to cooperate with the investigation officers and did not share his mobile or laptop passwords with them.

“We have sent the electronic devices for forensics,” he revealed, adding Aslam was arrested for violating Section 216 [harbouring offender who has escaped from custody or whose apprehension has been ordered] of the Pakistan Penal Code.

After hearing the arguments of both sides, the court accepted Aslam’s plea and approved his bail against surety bonds worth Rs50,000.

The case

The case pertains to the report published by FactFocus last year, accusing the former army chief and his family of amassing assets worth Rs12.7bn over the past six years.

The report, authored by journalist Ahmad Noorani, cited tax records and wealth statements of Gen Bajwa and his family to corroborate the claims about the alleged accumulation of assets inside and outside Pakistan.

Aslam has been accused of obtaining the tax records and sharing them with Noorani. The FIA arrested Aslam from Lahore on Jan 13 and later shifted him to Islamabad.

On Jan 14, he was handed over into FIA’s custody for two days. After the completion of the remand, the journalist was sent to jail on judicial remand for five days.

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pakistan

Election date will alleviate uncertainty: Kaira

Published

1 day ago

September 21, 2023

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Election date will alleviate uncertainty: Kaira

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Qamar Zaman Kaira emphasised that providing a specific date by the Election Commission for general elections would help alleviate the prevailing uncertainty.

Kaira reiterated that the PPP firmly upholds its constitutional mandate to hold elections and believes it is essential for stability.

Furthermore, he clarified that the issue of a level playing field is distinct from this matter and should be addressed separately.

It is to be recalled that PPP co-chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had earlier requested the Election Commission (ECP) to announce a date for polls in the country.

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pakistan

Solangi for eliminating extremism, prejudices from society

Published

1 day ago

September 21, 2023

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Solangi for eliminating extremism, prejudices from society

Federal Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi said Thursday that the elimination of extremism and all types of prejudices was not only part of Islamic religious norms and Islamic history, but it was also a cornerstone of the Pakistan ideology.

In his speech at a peace festival here, the minister said that the National Counter-Terrorism Authority had taken important steps to eliminate extremism and terrorism from society.

Solangi said that extremism was one of the elements that destroyed peace and violence which bred terrorism.

The minister said that Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had highlighted the rights of minorities in his speech of August 11, 1947. He said that Islam also taught kindness to humanity, irrespective of caste and creed.

Solangi said that anti-peace forces wanted to weaken the power of Pakistan by targeting minorities as diversity was Pakistan’s strength. “All the people of the state of Pakistan enjoyed equal rights.”

The minister said the promotion and protection of minorities’ rights on the principle of equality was a major weapon against extremism. He said that time had come to eliminate all types of prejudices from society, as it was one aspect of the ideology of the creation of Pakistan.

The minister also recalled that 22 years ago in 2001, the United Nations had announced to celebrate the International Day of Peace on September 21 every year. In 2023, he added, 75 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights would also be marked which was an important milestone in itself.

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pakistan

Captain Safdar acquitted of sedition, MPO violation charges

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1 day ago

September 21, 2023

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Captain Safdar acquitted of sedition, MPO violation charges

A district court on Thursday acquitted Captain (r) Muhammad Safdar, the son-in-law of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, in two cases involving charges of sedition, criminal intimidation and violation of the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO).

Judicial Magistrate Bilal Muneer Warraich pronounced the judgment which had been reserved on the previous hearing.

Advocates Farhad Ali Shah and Haroon Bhutta appeared before the court on behalf of their client Captain (r) Safdar.

Two FIRs had been registered with the Islampura police station against Safdar under different charges, including the Maintenance of Public Order (MPO) and 124-A & 506 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

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