KARACHI: Pakistan’s National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has filed a reference against real estate tycoon, Malik Riaz Hussain, and 32 other individuals over illegal transfer of government lands for a mega project in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, a NAB spokesperson said on Saturday.
Hussain, who currently lives in Dubai, is one of Pakistan’s wealthiest and most influential businessmen and the country’s largest private employers. He is best known as the chairman of M/s Bahria Town, which claims to be Asia’s largest private real estate developer and has projects in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and other cities.
NAB filed the reference in an accountability court in Karachi nominating Hussain, his son Ahmed Ali Riaz, former Sindh chief minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Sharjeel Inaam Memon, then local body minister and now information minister of Sindh, among 33 people for illegally transferring government land to M/s Bahria Town for its Bahria Town Karachi project in 2013 and 2014.
“Accused persons in connivance with each other illegally transferred the government land, initialy admeasuring 7220 acres, to M/s Bahria Town,” the anti-graft body said in the reference. “The said illegal transfer of government land to Bahria Town was made under the garb of adjustment/exchange/consolidation.”
It said the accused persons acted as an “organized syndicate” to cause cumulative losses of Rs700 billion ($2.5 billion) to the national exchequer, requesting the court to try them for committing the “offenses of corruption and corrupt practices.”
The development came days after NAB said it had initiated the process to seek Hussain’s extradition from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), who was also charged in another land corruption case involving former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife.
A Pakistani court last month sentenced Khan to 14 years in prison and his wife, Bushra, to seven years, in the case in which they are accused of receiving land as a bribe from Hussain through the Al-Qadir charitable trust in exchange for illegal favors during Khan’s premiership from 2018 to 2022. Khan says he and his wife were trustees and did not benefit from the land transaction. Hussain too denies any wrongdoing relating to the case.
“We have written to the Federal Investigation Agency for the extradition,” a NAB spokesman told Arab News on Wednesday, adding that the FIA would now pursue the case.
Prior to that, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif confirmed that Pakistan would use its extradition treaty with the UAE to bring Hussain back.
Last month, NAB also cautioned people against investing in Hussain’s new real estate venture to build luxury apartments in Dubai.
“If the general public at large invests in the stated project, their actions would be tantamount to money laundering, for which they may face criminal and legal proceedings,” it said.
Hussain responded to NAB in a post on X, saying that “fake cases, blackmailing and greed of officers” had forced him to relocate from Pakistan because he was not willing to be a “political pawn.”
Pakistan anti-graft body files reference against property tycoon over illegal transfer of Karachi land
https://arab.news/zv3tj
Pakistan anti-graft body files reference against property tycoon over illegal transfer of Karachi land
- Malik Riaz Hussain and others are accused of having over 7,000 acres of government land transferred illegally to Bahria Town Karachi
- The development comes days after National Accountability Bureau said it had initiated process to seek Hussain’s extradition from UAE
Islamabad rebuts claims of Pakistan being used as base for possible US strike on Iran
- Pakistan information ministry attributes the ‘reckless’ claims to ‘Afghanistan and Indian X accounts’
- ’Blame-pushing narrative tries to drag Pakistan into a US-Iran conflict without any evidence,’ it adds
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Monday refuted reports claiming that its territory could be used as a base for a possible US military strike on Iran, calling the claims a “reckless” attempt to drag Pakistani into a US-Iran conflict.
The Pakistan information ministry’s fact check account on X attributed the claims to “propaganda machineries Afghanistan and Indian X accounts,” identifying handles that claimed the US has moved aerial refueling (KC-135R) and surveillance aircraft to Pakistan.
The ministry said X accounts, @KHoorasanM_U1, @RealBababanaras and @AFGDefense, claimed these US aircraft are conducting unusual flights toward or into Iranian airspace and that Pakistan is being used as a base to support US stealth fighters (F-35/F-22) in a possible military strike on Iran.
Citing Reuters and Washington Post, the information ministry noted that while US refueling aircraft movements have been reported, but they were mostly linked to Europe, and there is no credible proof of any US aircraft based in Pakistan or any operational flights to Iran for a possible strike.
“This is a reckless, blame-pushing narrative that tries to drag Pakistan into a US-Iran conflict without any verifiable evidence,” the information ministry said on its fact check account on X, urging people not to share sensational military stories from “propaganda pages.”
“For national security and defense matters, rely only on ISPR (Inter-Services Public Relations), MoIB (Ministry of Information and Broadcasting), MoFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), and reputable defense outlets.”
The development comes amid weeks of public unrest in Iran over worsening economic conditions and a government crackdown on protesters.
The US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said at least 572 people have been killed, including 503 protesters and 69 members of security forces. It said more than 10,600 people have been detained over the two weeks of protests.
The group relies on supporters in Iran cross-checking information, AP reported.
With the Internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.
US President Donald Trump last week threatened to intervene militarily if Tehran continued to kill protesters. He said late Sunday his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran but cautioned that he may have to act before then as reports of deaths mount and the government continues to arrest protesters.
“Iran called, they want to negotiate,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One.
Iran did not acknowledge Trump’s comments immediately. It has previously warned the US military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.
Separately, China said it opposes foreign “interference” in other countries.
“We always oppose interference in other countries’ internal affairs,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular news conference on Monday, when asked about Trump’s comments. “We call on all parties to do more things conducive to peace and stability in the Middle East.”
