Last week, Shahid Aslam was arrested for reporting on former army head General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s family’s fortune.
Islamabad— In a tax data leak case involving former army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa and his family, an Islamabad court released journalist Shahid Aslam on bail.
The Federal Investigation Agency arrested Bol News reporter Aslam in Lahore last week and transferred him to Islamabad.
Aslam was charged with giving FactFocus personal tax information about General Bajwa and his family days before the army chief’s retirement.
Aslam denied leaking.
The FactFocus report claimed Bajwa and his family had nearly $52m in assets, citing tax records and wealth statements.
Media and civil rights groups denounced Aslam’s arrest, accusing the government of silencing the press. CPJ criticized the arrest.
“The arrest of reporter Shahid Aslam emphasizes the perilous atmosphere for journalists in Pakistan,” its Asia project coordinator Beh Lih Yi stated.
“Authorities must immediately and unconditionally free Aslam and respect his right to privacy and his sources as provided under the country’s journalist safety law,” she said.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan claimed the detention violated Aslam’s freedom of expression and set a dangerous precedent of hindering investigative journalists.
“Space for free expression and criticism in Pakistan is increasingly shrinking,” Human Rights Watch warned last month.
“A free media and dynamic civil society are the casualties of Pakistan’s leaders’ power struggle,” it stated.
Reporters Without Borders’ 2022 press freedom index rated Pakistan 157th. It fell 12 spots from 2021.
“Sedition laws in other countries are being eliminated, but we still utilize it,” said Islamabad-based media law specialist Aftab Alam.
“This is a relic of colonial-era legislation, and frequently we have seen their usage in the name of national interests or to combat fake news,” he told Al Jazeera.
He argued authorities’ activities control the masses. “Our laws need reform.”
