JournalismPakistan.com | Published September 01, 2020
Join our WhatsApp channel
ISLAMABAD—Standing by his report regarding the assets and business interests of CPEC Chairman Lt. Gen. (Retd) Asim Saleem Bajwa, journalist Ahmad Noorani (pictured) has said he was ready to prove the documents in any court.
Noorani, currently in the US, told VOA Urdu that all documents regarding the assets and companies of Asim Bajwa, who is also an advisor to the prime minister on information and broadcasting, have been verified.
He added that he had more documents in this regard but included only those in his story, which were verified by the governments in Pakistan, America, Canada, and UAE.
Noorani said he was ready to face court and confident of proving the authenticity of the documents. "I would tell the court that only verified documents have been made public."
In his story on a little known website on August 27, Noorani's claims that Gen. Bajwa, during his service in the army, developed around 200 businesses and acquired commercial and residential properties in and outside Pakistan.
The report claims that the worth of properties was $2.52 million or Rs876 crore. With this investment, the story maintained Bajwa's wife and his brothers established 174 franchised restaurants of two international food chains.
Noorani said his story was not regarding Papa John's Pizza as this was circulating on social media. "I started investigating when Bajwa's youngest brother claimed Asim Bajwa and his family has nothing to do with these franchises."
He said when the prime minister asked his advisors to declare their assets, Gen. Bajwa did not mention these businesses and wrote "nil" against the question of assets outside Pakistan.
Noorani said he would come back to Pakistan in a few months.
VOA Urdu said they contacted Lt Gen Bajwa, Minister for Information Shibli Faraz, and the prime minister's advisor Shahbaz Gill but none of them responded.
March 26, 2025: A district court in Islamabad granted the FIA a two-day physical remand of journalist Waheed Murad. He was arrested under the PECA Act for sharing a report by exiled journalist Ahmad Noorani on social media. His arrest involved armed men in black uniforms, according to his family.
March 25, 2025: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has promised to name a journalism department in an educational institution after slain journalist Arshad Sharif. This follows a suggestion by analyst Ather Kazmi during an interview.
March 25, 2025: The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has condemned the arrest of Karachi journalist Farhan Mallick, founder of Raftar, demanding his immediate release. The PFUJ has also denounced the case, calling it an attack on press freedom in Pakistan.
March 24, 2025: Who will be responsible if my sons are harmed?" cries a mother in Islamabad High Court, pleading for justice after her sons' alleged abduction. The court summons the IG police over the alleged kidnapping. The family claims intelligence agencies are involved.
March 24, 2025: Explore the 10 critical reasons why Pakistan's legacy media continues to disappoint, from political bias and corporate influence to digital transition failures and unsustainable business models in Pakistani journalism.
March 22, 2025: The arrest of journalist and Raftar founder Farhan Mallick under PECA violations has sparked concerns over press freedom in Pakistan. Digital rights activists warn of increasing state suppression.
March 21, 2025: Geo Group’s security guards allegedly led an assault on protesting journalists in Islamabad, dismantling their camp and threatening them. The hypocrisy of a media giant advocating press freedom while suppressing its workers is exposed.
March 21, 2025: CPJ demands Pakistani authorities reveal the whereabouts of journalist Asif Karim Khehtran and the abducted brothers of US-based journalist Ahmad Noorani, condemning the ongoing media crackdown.
March 25, 2025 Turkish authorities must release detained journalists covering protests and end press crackdowns. CPJ condemns police violence and home raids targeting media workers.
March 23, 2025 The severed pig’s head sent to Indonesia’s leading news outlet, Tempo, signals escalating media intimidation amid President Prabowo Subianto’s attacks on foreign-funded media.
March 19, 2025 Apply for the NYU Stern Climate Economics Journalism Fellowship to deepen your understanding of climate economics and its impact on global finance. Applications close on April 20, 2025.
March 16, 2025 The Trump administration has ordered furloughs at U.S.-funded broadcasters, including Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia, raising concerns about press freedom and government control over media funding.
March 15, 2025 Explore the dynamic relationship between athletes and sports journalists, examining the challenges, ethical dilemmas, and mutual benefits that shape the sports media landscape.