PM says no to Asim Bajwa's resignation.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday did not accept the resignation tendered by Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information and Broadcasting Lt Gen (r) Asim Saleem Bajwa.

The prime minister said he is satisfied with the evidence and explanation presented by Asim Bajwa, and that he has directed him to continue to work as SAPM, said a news release issued by the PM Office here.

Bajwa had announced on Thursday night that he would hand in his resignation to the prime minister on Friday and request to relieve him of his duties as his special assistant on information. The retired lieutenant general had said that he would continue his work as chairman of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority.

Confirming the development in a tweet, Senator Faisal Javed Khan said the prime minister had directed Bajwa to continue working as his aide. The official PTI Twitter account also quoted the prime minister as saying that he was satisfied with the evidence provided by Bajwa about his family's assets. He also directed him to continue working as the SAPM on information and broadcasting, the tweet said.

The announcement of resignation came after a strong rebuttal to allegations raised against Lt Gen (r) Bajwa in a news broken on an 'unknown website' on August 27 by journalist Ahmed Noorani. Bajwa on Thursday vehemently denied as 'incorrect and false' all allegations. The four-page rebuttal to the accusations was posted to Twitter by Bajwa, along with the following statement, "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." He said that he has not shied away to explain the allegations shamelessly levelled against him. "These allegations have been hurled at me to tarnish my image," he said.

Asim Bajwa said a random mention had been made of the companies, businesses and properties, owned by his brothers and children, with sweeping allegations regarding their evaluation and propriety. Emphatically, all the adverse insinuations levelled in the news item in question were materially false, he added.

He said the allegation that his declaration of assets and liabilities as an SAPM dated June 06, 2020, suffered from omission of investment of his wife abroad, was materially false. On the date of filing of the said...