Prime Minister Imran Khan has refused to accept the resignation of Asim Saleem Bajwa on Saturday as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information, asking him to continue as his aid. According to the Office of the Prime Minister, Lt Gen Bajwa, retired today, forwarded his resignation to the prime minister which was refused by the premier.
The prime minister was quoted as saying he was pleased with the clarity that Bajwa had provided on his properties in response to a published report. In a conversation with Geo News anchor Shahzeb Khanzada Thursday night, the former head of the military’s media arm had announced that he would hand in his resignation to the prime minister on Friday.
Bajwa said he’d ask the Premier to relieve him from his duties as his intelligence special assistant. The retired lieutenant general said he would resume his role as Chairman of the Authority for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Speaking of the importance of CPEC, he also said that the focus of the Prime Minister is the corridor “and I also believe that this project is the future of the country.” “I hope the prime minister will let me concentrate all of my efforts on CPEC,” he said.
The statement came after a clear rebuttal of allegations levelled against retired Lt Gen Bajwa in a news broken on August 27 by journalist Ahmed Noorani on a “private page.” Bajwa on Thursday “vehemently denied all charges as erroneous and baseless.”
The four-page rebuttal to the charges was posted on Twitter by retired Lt Gen Bajwa, along with the following statement: “I firmly rebut the groundless accusations levied against me and my family. Alhamdolillah yet another effort to destroy our belied / exposed image. I have and will always represent Pakistan with pride and integrity.”
The premier’s advisor said that he has not shied away to justify the accusations shamelessly levied “against him. These charges have been thrown at me to tarnish my reputation, the rebuttal observed that the press has reported as follows: – my disclosure of assets and liabilities as an SAPM in the Federal Government dated 22.06.2020 is inaccurate because I have neglected to report the investment of my wife.
My brothers have run businesses in the United States and their business growth is related to my promotion in the Pakistan Army; random reference has been made to companies, businesses and properties owned by my brothers and children, with sweeping allegations of evaluation and ownership.
All the adverse insinuations levelled in the news item in question so the aspects mentioned in paragraph 2 above are substantially false, “said Lt Gen Bajwa. He said the allegation that his statement of assets and liabilities dated June 22 suffered from the omission of his wife’s investment abroad is” substantially false.
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