Islamabad, February 18, 2025: A reference has been filed in Accountability Court No. 1, Rawalpindi, against Bahria Town Chairman Malik Riaz over alleged encroachment in the New Murree Golf City project. The reference accuses Riaz of illegally seizing 4,500 kanals of government land and incorporating it into the Bahria Town scheme. This is to be mentioned here that Malik Riaz is absconder of courts in a number of cases.
According to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the encroached land includes property belonging to the Forest Department and various rural areas, including Mouza Mangah, Mouza Salkhetar, and other adjoining villages. The reference alleges that Riaz, in collusion with officials from the Revenue and Forest Departments, fraudulently merged state-owned and communal land into the Bahria Town Murree Golf City project.
The case also names 28 officials from the Revenue Department as co-accused in the corruption and fraud scandal.
The investigation stems from a 2016 Supreme Court case against the New Murree Golf City project, in which the apex court directed NAB to probe illegal encroachments and construction on protected forest land. After years of investigation, NAB has now formally submitted the reference to the accountability court.
Legal proceedings in the case are set to begin soon.
