Asim Saleem Bajwa

Asim Saleem Bajwa is a Pakistani military officer and politician who has held various significant positions in the Pakistani military and government. Here is an overview of his career and key roles:

Military Career: Asim Saleem Bajwa served in the Pakistan Army and held various positions during his military career. He was primarily associated with the Pakistan Army’s Corps of Engineers.
Director-General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR): One of his most notable roles was as the Director-General of the ISPR, which is the media and public relations wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces. He held this position from 2012 to 2016 and played a crucial role in shaping the military’s public image during his tenure.
Political Career: After retiring from the military, Asim Saleem Bajwa entered Pakistani politics. He joined the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which is led by Prime Minister Imran Khan. In 2018, he was appointed as the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting, a position that involves handling government communication and media affairs.
Chairman of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority: Bajwa was also appointed as the Chairman of the CPEC Authority, which oversees and coordinates the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a major infrastructure and economic development project between Pakistan and China. This appointment was made in 2019.

Early life and education

In Sadiqabad, Punjab, Pakistan, Asim Saleem Bajwa was born into a middle-class Punjabi Jat family of the Bajwa clan. Asim’s father, Muhammad Saleem Bajwa, was a government employee and physician who was killed in an attack in 1976 as he was travelling by train to Karachi. Asim has five brothers—of whom he is the third after doctors Tanvir and Taloot—and three sisters. After completing his studies at the Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul, he was commissioned into the 34th Punjab Regiment in 1984. He earned degrees from the National Defence University in Islamabad, the Command and Staff College in Quetta, and the Staff College in Camberley. He graduated from King’s College with a master’s in defence studies and the National Defence University in Islamabad with a master’s in war studies.

Post-retirement career

After leaving the military in November 2019, Bajwa was chosen to lead the recently established CPEC Authority. Bajwa was appointed by the Establishment Division to lead the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Authority for a period of four years. His responsibilities for the CPEC project are evident, particularly his focus on the development of the Balochistan province as Gwadar develops into a significant regional commerce hub. Bajwa was appointed to the position of Special Advisor to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information and Broadcasting in April 2020. Bajwa later announced his retirement from his position as Special Advisor to the PM for Information and Broadcasting in an interview that was conducted on September 3, 2020. Imran Khan, the prime minister, steadfastly declined to accept his resignation. On October 12, 2020, he resigned.

Personal life

Asim Bajwa, a member of the Bajwa family, is married to Farrukh Zeba and together they have three children and four grandchildren. He enjoys reading and golfing as pastimes. Muhammad Bajwa, Eusha Bajwa, and Azib Bajwa are his sons His sons attended US business colleges, Asim Bajwa stated in his response to the FactFocus investigation.