The King maker - Malik Riaz

Society Pakistan & World Affairs
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A new scam of his worth 62 billion Rupees has recently come to light, and the media is sleeping. DHA Islamabad advertised DHA Valley/Phase II extension Islamabad in 2009 and the plots have been sold to 150000 people, none of them have been given possession. DHA did an agreement with Bahria Town regarding land development and all the money was transferred into Bahria Town’s accounts.

Three troubles for Bahria chief Malik Riaz | DAWN.COM

**ISLAMABAD, June 7: Troubles are said to come in threes. And this stands true for property tycoon Malik Riaz.
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**The man with the Midas touch is not just facing some mysterious health issues and a Supreme Court case about his alleged links with Dr Arsalan Iftikhar, the son of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, but his troubles appear to include an initial probe by the National Accountability Bureau in what is described by some as a land scam worth Rs62 billion.
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**The scam is linked to allegations levelled by a former military officer Tariq Kamal against Riaz and the Defence Housing Authority for depriving about 150,000 people of their residential plots.
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When asked by Dawn if NAB’s Rawalpindi office had received any application about Bahria Town’s alleged land fraud, the bureau’s spokesman Zafar Iqbal said: “The investigations are in preliminary stages and we are verifying the claim made by the former military officer. Once the claim is verified, the investigation will be the second part of the process.”

Lt-Col (retd) Tariq Kamal has been raising a hue and cry for quite some time but observers are wondering whether the case may get a new impetus thanks to the Supreme Court’s suo motu action into allegations that Arsalan Iftikhar took bribe from Malik Riaz.

According to Col Tariq, “the Defence Housing Authority Islamabad has been receiving money in the name of allotment of plots in DHA Phase I Extension, DHA Phase II Extension and DHA Valley since 2009.”

The schemes were launched that year by the Defence Housing Authority.

“DHA-I and DHA-II are developed housing societies, but DHA Valley is yet to be developed,” Col Tariq said.

**However, he said, people who had paid money to get the plots found that they were fooled because they were deliberately kept in dark by the DHA management about the agreement between DHA-I and Bahria Town over land development.

Col Tariq said that in 2009 the DHA had “transferred all the funds raised from the public, which were Rs62 billion, to the accounts of Bahria Town”.
**The retired colonel has worked for the DHA as director for urban planning.

Since starting his campaign to get dues of the victims back, Col Tariq has also set up a social networking site page. Titled “Stand-up for your Right”, where the former officer narrated his version of events as well as displayed copies of the official complaint registered with a local police station and a letter sent to NAB.

**Col Tariq said: “Those who got cheated include 110,000 civilians, 41,000 serving and retired military officers, jawans and families of martyrs. Total land in question is 165,000 kanals.” These figures related only to DHA Valley project.
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According to this page, Malik Riaz started development activity on 10,000 kanals designated for DHA Valley in 2009.

Once this process began, the Defence Housing Authority Islamabad (DHAI) bosses transferred Rs62 billion into the account of Malik Riaz without any guarantee and “against the advice of DHAI legal advisers Ahmer Bilal Soofi & Co.” The amount was earned by the sale of all the planned plots in the valley.

Col Tariq said: “Those DHAI employees who objected to the illegal steps were sacked immediately.”

He alleged that the development of the valley stopped shortly afterwards and that Riaz used the money elsewhere for his personal benefits.

Because of the agreements, DHAI is unable to take any decision or action on the matter.

Col Tariq insists that an investigation should be carried out to pinpoint the officials who misused their authority and “compromised DHAI’s reputation to benefit a property tycoon widely known for land grabbing”. When approached by this reporter, the public relations officer of Bahria Town, Ms Nida, said: “It’s a huge amount (Rs62 billion) and it’s impossible but if you need a version I can only give it to you once I consult the relevant officials in this regard.”

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The thing thats puzzling me is that all the media is quiet, if it would have been a case involving a few millions by some politician the media would have been jumping up and down, but now its a case of over 62 billions and no one is even talking about it.

Malik Riaz had a very good relationship with Zardari, and Ashiana Housing of Shahbaz Sharif was built by him, but the strange thing is that I havent heard a single word/statement from Imran Khan on this issue? Can we safely assume that all have been benefited by the king maker? The guy who can buy off governments, oppositions, judges, military, NAB, media etc. how can he be punished for all the land grabbing that he has done?

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Its only Chaudhary Nisar who has spoken against Malik Riaz openly.

Sharifs

Sharifs’ ties with Malik Riaz alienating Ch Nisar
LAHORE - The striking absence of the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly and PML-N stalwart Nisar Ali Khan from the party elections held in Islamabad recently raised several eyebrows in the political circles, especially in the Sharifs’ inner-most circle known otherwise for running the show.

An inquiry revealed that Nisar was unhappy with his party leadership and was staying in London for the past several days. He not only deliberately missed the elections, but was also not in a mood to talk to anybody in the party, including the Sharifs who were trying to placate him, but with little success so far. It is learnt that the main purpose of Shahbaz Sharif’s recent visit to London, other than seeking medical treatment, was to pacify Nisar, the main face of the party in the National Assembly. Khawaja Asif, who is accompanying Shahbaz has been relentlessly trying to mediate between Nisar and the Sharifs though without any luck.

**The sources revealed that one of the major reasons behind Nisar’s annoyance with the Sharifs was Malik Riaz, the property tycoon and developer, who is very close to President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and the Sharifs.Riaz mediated between the Sharifs and PPP slain leader Benazir Bhutto and then President Zardari before the last general elections, bringing the two estranged political parties closer as allies.
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**When the PPP and the PML-N fell apart, Riaz struck again, this time mediating an alliance between the Chaudhrys and the PPP leadership. **Nisar claims that Riaz was orchestrating a smear campaign against him in Rawalpindi, political bastion of the opposition leader that has remained unchallenged ever since his rise to prominence. The reverberation of this campaign was even heard in the National Assembly.

Former deputy speaker Haji Nawaz Khokhar is active in NA-52 and recently announced his decision to contest the election from there. As the stage is set for the elections, Khokhar is becoming more and more visible in Nisar’s constituency, (NA-52), trying

to damage the political interest of the opposition leader. Nisar believes Riaz has pitted Khokhar against him. According to the sources, Nisar is asking his party leaders to distance themselves from Riaz and stop patronising him, which seems difficult for the Sharifs.

Recently, it was learnt that Nawaz Sharif also met Riaz in Islamabad, though denied by the PML-N, and urged him to sort out issues with Nisar at least to the extent of Rawalpindi. Nawaz also complained to Riaz that he had harmed the PML-N by bringing the PML-Q and the PPP closer. But sources say that Riaz is not ready to budge from his position. The internal strife in the party, as evident from Nisar’s issues with the party’s top leadership, came at a time when the Sharifs are gearing up to challenge the PPP government in the coming days in hope of an early election.

PML-N’s newly-elected Information Secretary Mushahidullah Khan denied that there were any differences between the Sharifs and Nisar.

He said Nisar was staying in the UK for medical treatment, adding that recently, Riaz with the support of the government, tried to register voters illegally in Bahria Town (Rawalpindi), which falls in the constituency of Nisar, to make a dent in his vote bank but Nisar had failed his effort. Meanwhile, sources said that Nawaz Sharif had earlier stopped Nisar from using strong language against the ISI chief and the army.

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Chaudhry Nisar presser: Opposition leader accuses Riaz of conspiring against SC – The Express Tribune

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Let see if this King Maker and Billionaire can survive this... reading his tweets and statements here and there, it seems like he is in trouble because of the SC!!! ( as SC is not willing to compromise on his frauds and scams)

Being responsible citizen of Pakistan, we should from today boy-cot anything which is under management of his company!!!

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He should be cut down to size no doubt.

Hamid Mir ‏@HamidMirGEO](https://twitter.com/#!/HamidMirGEO)
@wbugti](https://twitter.com/#!/wbugti) Former DG ISPR Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan is also working in Bahria Town as director ex Army spokesperson became Malik Riaz spokesperson

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I believe that the case has taken a dangerous turn for Malik Riaz, he had collected the evidences against CJ's son and was about to use international media to break the news. The Pakistani media is in his control, so he'd be confident that they wont go against him. Shaheen Sehbai basically turned the tables and broke the news first, hence giving a heads up to the CJ and provided him time to react. Good moves by the CJ after the news spread, now Malik Riaz will have to explain exactly why he paid the amount to Arsalan, and this case should go further in exploring Bahria Town and all other land grabbing this guy has been doing and how he has been trying to manipulate the politics of the country. He should be made an example to stop other aspiring candidates.

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this is even more complicated than I had imagined!! ... If Malik Riaz is a corrupt guy and he was just trying to frame Arsalan, just to defame and blackmail CJ, what does he wants in return? he wants CJ to drop cases against him?

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^ yes cases regarding his corruption and murders etc are pending in courts, no one in the country has power to go against him. He simply buys off things to get his way, it seems he has erred this time. I hope the end will be better for the country, we really dont need mafias like these running the country.

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This is just too much too digest

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I really hope se, otherwise I see tough times ahead for our country, especially when people like Malik Riaz are running the show! I hope the truth comes out sooner and awaam gets to see real of faces oif these sick people, because at the moment, majority is on his side and have blindly believed that CJ is corrupt as well.

btw, its strange na PPP and PTI, both are quiet on this matter!

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Read the last two paragraphs, a media tycoon called him and then Ishrat ul Ibad while Javed Chaudhary was with him.

The link: Daily Express News Story

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Hmmm…

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Caesar

So does My Lord the Chief Justice, on whose side emotionally guys like me will always gravitate, realise how the wheel comes full circle? He was our St George pursuing the dragon of corruption and wrongdoing in high places. And since the stars are not without their share of irony, sharp and interested eyes are seeing the footprints of the dragon reaching up to his own front door.

It doesn’t matter whether young Arsalan, his son, was the beneficiary of **gifts coming from the generous hands of Malik Riaz, arguably the most powerful person in Pakistan today, more powerful in my opinion than the commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Army. Former generals and admirals are in his pay. Islam may be our avowed faith but the passion which really sways our good and great is connected to the holy kingdom called real estate, whose crowned head is Malik Riaz.
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What matters is that Arsalan has been touched by the breath of suspicion and when it comes to Caesar’s wife, or son as in this case, that is enough. Both, if the state of the Republic is to be counted as healthy, must be above suspicion.There is another irony at work here. The same media forces which gifted us Memogate, making a fireworks out of a molehill, are behind this latest scandal. Not a shred of evidence has been produced showing the money connection between Arsalan and Malik Riaz. It may well exist but we could have done with some evidence and investigative reporting. The commentaries could have come later. But it has been the other way around here, the Supreme Court calling for details and everyone concerned earnestly engaged in scurrying for cover.

This is exactly what happened in Memogate, the media blitz so strong that the CJ and the army chief both fell for it. This time there’s been no blitz, just a whispering campaign. But so insidious that CJ Chaudhry felt constrained to act. But, I fear, he may have acted in haste. After all, this was a matter involving his son. As a trained lawyer, a former advocate general of Balochistan, it should not have been difficult for him to get at the truth, sitting Arsalan across the table, and then, if any impropriety was established, deciding what to do.

Even if there is any truth to the worst of the allegations about Arsalan, he is guilty of impropriety. A son of My Lord Iftikhar Chaudhry of all people should have nothing to do with someone like the honourable Riaz Malik. If they do they are courting temptation. And if, as a consequence, they find themselves in a soup they have no one to blame except themselves.When the Islamabad Defence Housing Authority (DHA) Bill came up before the Defence Committee of the National Assembly I opposed it strongly and wrote a dissenting note, on the simple grounds that the army should receive no special favours when it came to housing colonies.

Malik Riaz had a deep interest in the matter and kept calling me. (Where his interest is involved, let me say, he is nothing if not persistent.) Against my better judgment I was persuaded to come on a guided tour of DHA Islamabad, the great Malik at the wheel himself and I on the front seat…taking in the vast construction work underway, bulldozers working day and night, the land acquired, some of it forcibly. It was all very impressive and I felt some of my cynicism subsiding. Then there occurred an error which set me thinking. When the tour came to an end and it was time for coffee, ready for a PowerPoint presentation, stick in hand, was a rather sheepish-looking administrator of the DHA. What on earth was he doing there, less administrator and more like a hired underling? I knew I had made a mistake. Making my excuses I hurriedly left.

Arsalan being who he was should have known what company to keep. Even if the sums being bandied about – 30, 40 crores – are put to one side, the mere association between him and the tycoon in question should count as an impropriety, especially when we are talking of St George on his white horse and the king of real estate with so many irons in the fire.

But such things are not easily proven in the Islamic Republic. We are a remarkably free country in this sense: anything goes. Who’ll depose against Arsalan? If we know our Malik Riaz, not him. So my guess is that all we are likely to get is another Memogate, sound and fury amounting to very little, Chaudhry partisans solemnly shaking their heads and saying that in investigating his own son he has emulated the example of the first caliphs; and media gladiators, of whom there is never a shortage in our land, throwing dark hints about the forces behind this conspiracy, and foretelling disaster and constitutional mayhem.

The silliness has already started. Malik Riaz may be the man behind the rumours but he has said nothing on record, nothing that can be quoted or held against him. Giving currency to the rumours and bearing witness are some champions of the TV screen. But if the case is to proceed and My Lord the CJ clear his name and honour, it must rest on something more solid.

So, not surprisingly, we are being treated to the spectacle of My Lord the CJ trying to glean information from Malik Riaz’s Bahria Town whose officials, retired generals amongst them, are playing mum, as was only to be expected. And since we are not going to get media personalities deposing anything on oath anytime soon, what we will be left with is another trail of unsubstantiated rumour.The record of recent judicial commissions is not very inspiring. The Abbottabad Commission is still dancing in the shadows. Memogate is something the SC would give anything to forget. In the Asghar Khan case the SC is taking its time charting a clear course even though solemnly-affirmed testimonies are available in this case. Given this shining record, are we likely to see anything clear-cut or dramatic in something as hazy as the Arsalan allegations?
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What this latest episode emphasises is a truth we are all familiar with: in the Turkish bath of Pakistani politics no one is fully clothed. To a lesser or greater degree everyone appears to be on the take. Standards that should be guiding us simply aren’t there. We all seem to be in a hurry to get ahead, no matter what the means. Hence the conundrum we face: while the country as a whole seems to be doing poorly, favoured individuals, and their number is not small, seem to be doing very well: collective regression or impoverishment, individual progress.
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One can go on and on and make a dismal litany of it. But just imagine the consequences of this latest piece of national theatre: for all his faults, and uncharitable souls can point to a few, My Lord Chaudhry is someone so many of us have looked up to. Our history is full of judicial stuffiness, the higher judiciary pandering to the whims, dancing to the tunes, of tin-pot dictators. Chaudhry has asserted judicial independence and taken up issues, like those of missing persons, no apex court has dared touch before. Dragons may not have been slain but a host of good causes have been upheld.And now ugly rumour arrives at his door. But he should take it in his stride. Such things happen but they come and go. If there is one thing constant about life it is that nothing is permanent, everything passes. This too will pass. And perhaps, if we are lucky, we may learn something from the experience.Tailpiece: A newspaper picture says it all: former generals Shaukat Sultan and Ehtisham Zamir representing Bahria Town in the Supreme Court. Generals of the Wehrmacht acting as real estate agents: mind-boggling thought.

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this drama was staged to malign CJ! and he took a wise decision by not being part of the bench!
verdict of this case will turn the tables around for everyone!! I hope these thugs dont get away this time!

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There can be only two outcomes of this blunder:

1) Malik Riaz and all the people on his payroll will be exposed.
2) Arsalan will be convicted and thrown into jail, CJP & Judicary will come out more stronger.

It's all good, certainly towards better Pakistan. The only thing ordinary Pakistani can do is stand behind CJP & Supreme Court.

p.s General Kiyani younger brother is also one of the project director of Bahria, Mashallah.

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Who is his brother?

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exactly, we should stand by CJ and support him through these tough times!!!

Malik Riaz is digging his own grave, InshaAllah jeet haq ki hogi!

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didnt, his younger brothers served as army officers?

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Farooq Kiyani, he used to run a school but in last few years become a big shot in real estate of Rawalpindi - often seen in Islamabad in protocol of over 5 SUV’s (Land cruiser, Range Rover.. etc)

Don’t forget National Press Club, Islamabad (media town scheme) also funded by Malik Riaz - many top-class journalists are on his payroll or were (just read yesterday column by Haroon Rasheed)
On top of everything, General Shuja Pasha ex. ISI owns many commercial plazas in twin cities, Dawn Media Group offices are located in one of the plaza’s, ironically?

coincidences ?