Asim Bajwa rejects allegations against him and his family, steps down as SAPM
Asim Bajwa said he will always serve Pakistan with pride and dignity.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Lieutenant General (r) Asim Saleem Bajwa on Thursday decided to step down as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting.
Lt Gen (r) Asim Saleem Bajwa said that he would continue to serve as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Authority (CPECA) Chairman.
“I wanted to concentrate on the CPEC projects,” he said and added he will present his resignation as SAPM on information to Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Earlier, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Authority (CPECA) Chairman strongly rejected baseless allegations levelled against him and his family.
In a tweet, Asim Bajwa strongly rebutted the baseless allegations levelled against him by journalist Ahmed Noorani. He said another attempt to damage his reputation has been exposed.
"I have and will always serve Pakistan with pride and dignity," he added.
I strongly rebut the baseless allegations levelled against me and my family.Alhamdolillah another attempt to damage our reputation belied/exposed.I have and will always serve Pakistan with pride and dignity. pic.twitter.com/j185UoGhx1
— Asim Saleem Bajwa (@AsimSBajwa) September 3, 2020
Denying the claims made in the news article, he said that on the date of filing the declaration of assets (which the report claimed was false), his wife was no longer a shareholder in any businesses of his brother ‘or anyone else’.
In the documents released on Twitter, he wrote that baseless allegations were made in the report regarding awarding CPEC contracts to his brother’s company, adding that his brother’s has never won any CPEC contract.
Bajwa went on to say that his son’s company Scion Builders is already registered with the Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), adding that the above mentioned company has not done any business since its inception.
“My son owns 50 percent share of the company called Himalaya Private Limited,” he said and added the company has earned a profit of Rs 500,000 in the last three years.
He said that Bajco Global Management, LLC has no ownership interest in any Papa John’s and also termed the allegation of Bajco owning 99 companies as false.
The Chairman said that in a span of eighteen years, his brothers purchased the franchise and related assets worth almost $70 million, out of which around $60 million were through bank loans and financial facilities.
He further said that in those 18 years, actual investment from his brothers and wife has been about $73000. Out of this amount around $19,000 were contributed by his wife while the remaining amount of $54,000 contributed by his brothers is fully documented.
Asim Bajwa said that none of his brothers are his dependents and have held positions such as doctors, Vice President at a US bank, controller in a restaurant operating company and operating partner of a restaurant. He also noted that apart from his brothers and wife, the businesses have at least 50 other investors.
Bajwa has termed the allegations leveled towards him as an attempt to tarnish his image.
