BY OSAMA MALIK
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has asked Lieutenant General (r) Asim Saleem Bajwa to continue as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister.
Bajwa on Thursday made public his version on allegations made in a news story regarding rapid development of his family’s businesses and assets with promotion in the army.
Along with his statement he had announced to step-down Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting and would present his resignation the Prime Minister Imran Khan.
But would continue to as chairman China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Authority (CPECA) Chairman. “I wanted to concentrate on the CPEC projects,” he said.
Lt Gen (r) Bajwa met Prime Minister Khan on Friday. In this meeting Prime Minister declined to accept Bajwa’s resignation saying he was satisfied with the explanation given by the retired general.
Khan asked Bajwa to continue as special assistant, said a short statement issued after the meeting.
Earlier Bajwa rejected allegations leveled against him and his family. In a tweet, Asim Bajwa rebutted what he called baseless allegations leveled against him by journalist, Ahmed Noorani.
He called the news report another attempt to damage his reputation. “I have and will always serve Pakistan with pride and dignity,” he added.
Denying the claims made in the news article, he said that on the date of filing the declaration of assets few months back, his wife was no longer a shareholder in any businesses of his brother ‘or anyone else’.
In a statement attached with his Twits, he wrote that baseless allegations were made in the report regarding awarding CPEC contracts to his brother’s company, adding that his brother 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 company has not done any business since its inception.
“My son owns 50 percent share of the company called Himalaya Private Limited,” he said. The company has earned a profit of Rs 500,000 in the last three years, he added.
He said that Bajco Global Management, LLC has no ownership interest in Papa John’s and also termed the allegation of Bajco owning 99 companies as false.
Gen. Bajwa 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.
