Pakistan reporter convicted of leaking tax data is granted bail

ISLAMABAD (AP) — A Pakistani court Wednesday granted bail to a veteran journalist after he was arrested by federal investigators in the eastern city of Lahore on suspicion of leaking tax data of the country’s former army chief and his family, his news channel said.

Shahid Aslam’s release was ordered by the court just one week after his Lahore apartment had been raided and he was taken to Islamabad.

Aslam worked for the BOL news channel. Wednesday’s report said that Aslam had been granted bail in Islamabad. He was due to be released Thursday after completing paperwork.

This news comes just days after the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists requested that Pakistan release Aslam.

CPJ released a statement Tuesday stating that Pakistani authorities had accused Aslam in relation to a Nov. 19 article on the Pakistan-based news website FactFocus. Leaked tax data was used to report on Bajwa’s assets and his family. Aslam denied any involvement.

Pakistan’s track record in freedom of expression is poor. Many journalists have been detained and assaulted by police in recent times, despite the fact that both the current and past governments insist they support freedom.