A sessions court in Islamabad has issued a detailed verdict on the judicial remand of journalist Shahid Aslam in former Chief of Army Staff Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa’s tax record leak.
To clarify, journalist Shahid Aslam has been reprimanded for his report on Gen (retd) Bajwa’s tax records. According to the details, the court said in the detailed verdict that the journalist was in FIA custody but the investigation couldn’t move forward.
Read more: Govt identifies culprits behind leak of COAS Bajwa’s tax records
The prosecution had confined the investigation just to the laptop and mobile phone of the journalist. The court hereby doesn’t feel the need to send Shahid Aslam for further physical remand. The arguments presented by the investigation officer for the physical remand are not satisfactory. Hereby, the court sent the journalist on judicial remand to jail till January 30.
Ex-COAS Bajwa’s tax record leaked
Earlier, a report by FactFocus claimed that the current market value of the known assets and business of the army chief, both within and outside Pakistan, amounted to Rs12.7 billion. The report also shared the alleged wealth statements of Gen (retd) Bajwa and his family from 2013 to 2021.
The report on Gen (retd) Bajwa’s tax records went viral and immediate action was taken against those behind it. On November 27, the military’s media wing Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) rubbished a nefarious campaign launched against the former army chief and his family related to their tax records.
Read more: Two FBR officers fired for leaking Gen Bajwa’s tax records
Two Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) officers were removed from their posts over their alleged involvement. The FBR recently, included three more income tax officers in the investigation.
Meanwhile, journalist Shahid Aslam was in FIA custody for his report on the tax records. During the interrogation, the suspect admitted that he obtained the data from the officials of the Federal Board of Revenue of Pakistan, the prosecutor told the court.