2 revenue officials suspended in Pakistan for leaking Army chief Gen Bajwa’s tax data

Islamabad, Nov 25 (PTI) Pakistan’s tax authorities have suspended two officers from service for their involvement in tax leaks of Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and his family, according to a media report on Friday.

The decision was taken after a probe was initiated by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar. The tax documents of Bajwa and her family members were posted online in a report by the investigative website Fact Focus.

The website report alleged that the wealth of Bajwa and his family increased exponentially in the six years of his tenure as the army chief of the country.

The Dunya News quoted sources as saying that the suspended officials belonged to the Inland Revenue Service of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the country’s top tax body.

Sources said Deputy Commissioners Atif Nawaz and Zahoor Ahmad have been suspended from service after preliminary investigations.

According to the initial report, the data leaked from the login and passwords of both officers who are currently under investigation for further revelations.

Earlier, Finance Minister Dar ordered an inquiry into the unwarranted leakage of tax information of the family members of the outgoing army chief.

Taking serious notice, he said this is a clear violation of the complete confidentiality of tax information that the law provides and tasked Special Assistant to Prime Minister Tariq Mehmood Pasha to personally lead an immediate investigation, affix responsibility and submit a report within 24 hours.

Pakistan's former spy master and senior-most Lt General Asim Munir was on Thursday appointed as the new Army chief by President Arif Alvi, ending intense speculation over the most powerful position in the coup-prone country, where the military wields considerable power in matters of security and foreign policy. PTI SH MRJ MRJ