Islamabad Raid and Arrests
A high-profile operation was carried out in Islamabad as the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) raided Bahria Town offices, seizing critical records in connection with ongoing investigations into money laundering and illegal financial practices. Several Bahria Town staff members were taken into custody during the raid, with officials describing the development as a significant breakthrough in their probe.
Discovery of Illegal Networks
Preliminary findings from the raid point to a vast hawala-hundi and money laundering network allegedly linked to property tycoon Malik Riaz and his son Ali Riaz. FIA officials confirmed that sensitive documents recovered during the search will serve as key evidence in multiple cases under review.
Breakdown of Cases Identified
The FIA outlined three major cases of laundering connected to Bahria Town:
- 2016 to January 2025: Transactions worth Rs 1.58 trillion.
- 2015 to March 2025: Approximately Rs 1 billion laundered.
- 2005 to 2015: Alleged laundering of Rs 24 billion.
These revelations are said to align with evidence from earlier cases already pending with NAB. Officials confirmed that NAB has now reopened all dormant cases against Bahria Town following the new findings.
Benami Properties and Next Steps
The investigation also uncovered a large number of benami (front) properties allegedly tied to the housing giant, valued at hundreds of billions of rupees. Officials announced that both FIA and NAB will now proceed with daily legal hearings to accelerate the process of accountability.
Authorities assured that all illegal activities will be brought to their “logical conclusion”, pledging to ensure accountability at the highest level of financial misconduct.