“This is clearly violative of the complete confidentiality of tax information that the law provides,” the finance ministry said in a statement on Monday. This comes after a report by a website, FactFocus*, which cited tax returns and wealth statements, claimed that the COAS family had become billionaires within the last six years.

“In view of this serious lapse on the part of to-date unknown functionaries the Finance minister has directed the SAPM on Revenue Tariq Mehmood Pasha to personally lead an immediate investigation into the violation of tax law and breach of FBR data, affix responsibility and submit a report within twenty four hours,” the statement said.

FactFocus website claimed it is a “factual, data-driven investigative stories to empower” Pakistani citizens.

Previously, the news website published stories on the “misappropriation of funds” by a number of politicians and other powerful sectors in Pakistan.

It released a report regarding the alleged offshore properties and businesses of former CPEC Authority chairman Lt-Gen (retd) Asim Saleem Bajwa and his family in 2020. Last year, the publication claimed to have obtained audio of former chief justice Saqib Nisar giving orders to convict former premier Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz.

However, the stories died in the courtroom.