ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani court Wednesday granted bail to a veteran journalist after he was arrested by federal investigators in the eastern city of Lahore on suspicion of leaking tax data of the country’s former army chief and his family, his news channel said.
The court order for the release of Shahid Aslam came less than a week after the Federal Investigation Agency raided his apartment in Lahore and transported him to the capital Islamabad.
The BOL news channel, for which Aslam works, reported Wednesday that a court in Islamabad approved bail for Aslam and that he was expected to be freed Thursday after the completion of paperwork.
The development comes a day after the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists asked Pakistan to release Aslam and allow the media to freely and independently report on military officials.
In a statement, CPJ said Tuesday that Pakistani authorities accused Aslam of involvement in a Nov. 19 article in a digital news website FactFocus. The article used leaked tax data to report on the assets of Bajwa and his family. Aslam has denied involvement.
Pakistan has a bad track record regarding freedom of expression and several journalists have been assaulted and detained by police in recent years, although the current and previous governments have insisted they support freedom of expression.
Pakistan reporter accused of leaking tax data of ex-army chief gets bail
https://arab.news/pfbaq
Pakistan reporter accused of leaking tax data of ex-army chief gets bail
- Shahid Aslam was arrested in Lahore after his apartment was raided by the Federal Investigation Agency
- CPJ had asked Pakistan a day before to release him and let the media report freely on military officials
Pakistan PM to attend World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Switzerland next month
- The WEF meeting, scheduled to be held in Davos on Jan. 19-23, will focus on global challenges, public-private dialogue and cooperation
- Government, business, civil society and academia leaders will engage in forward-looking discussions to address these issues, set priorities
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will travel to Switzerland next month to attend the 56th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Pakistani state media reported on Monday.
The WEF annual meeting, themed as ‘A Spirit of Dialogue,’ will be held from Jan. 19 to Jan. 23 in Davos, where world leaders from government, business, civil society and academia will engage in forward-looking discussions to address global issues and set priorities.
Prime Minister Sharif is expected to interact with global leaders and investors on economic challenges, regional and international issues and various opportunities for cooperation.
On Monday, Deputy PM Ishaq Dar presided over a meeting in Islamabad to oversee preparations for Sharif’s upcoming visit to Switzerland to attend the WEF meeting, the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“Dar instructed to maximize the engagements with the incoming Heads of States, Governments and senior leadership of economic, business and financial institutions,” the report read.
The WEF meeting program will be structured around key global challenges where public-private dialogue and cooperation, involving all stakeholders, is necessary for progress, according to the WEF website.
In addressing these challenges, growth, resilience and innovation will serve as cross-cutting imperatives, guiding how leaders engage with today’s complexity and pursue tomorrow’s opportunities.
Pakistani foreign ministry officials briefed the deputy PM about preparations for the WEF meeting, according to Radio Pakistan. The participants of Monday’s meeting in Islamabad discussed in detail the bilateral component and media engagements during the visit.
“He [Dar] further stressed that opportunities be explored to foster collaboration with private sector business entities,” the state broadcaster said.
