ISLAMABAD; The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has uncovered a major money laundering network allegedly linked to real estate giant Bahria Town and its founder Malik Riaz, recovering crucial financial records involving over Rs1.12 billion in suspicious transactions.
The illicit network was reportedly operating out of Safari Hospital, a Bahria Town-run facility, where hospital ambulances were used to secretly transport cash and sensitive documents.
During a recent raid, FIA teams found that staff at the hospital attempted to destroy key evidence by burning documents, but investigators managed to retrieve a significant portion of the records.
The findings point to a sophisticated hawala-hundi operation involving Bahria Town’s Chief Financial Officer and Director of Finance, in collaboration with two individuals identified as Imran and Qaiser.
Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar confirmed the development in a video statement, calling it a “mega corruption scandal” with serious economic implications.
He stated that the FIA has “irrefutable evidence” and that a Bahria Town official, Colonel Khalil, has already been arrested. Other suspects remain at large, and the government is urging them to surrender voluntarily.
This latest investigation adds to a growing list of legal challenges facing Malik Riaz, one of Pakistan’s most influential businessmen.
He is currently an absconder in the high-profile Al-Qadir Trust case, which centers on the alleged misuse of £190 million repatriated by the UK’s National Crime Agency. That case has also implicated former Prime Minister Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi.
Beyond the Al-Qadir case, Riaz has long faced allegations of land grabbing, unauthorized developments, and using political connections to evade accountability — claims he has repeatedly denied. Authorities say the current probe specifically targets individuals involved in financial crimes and will not affect the rights of ordinary Bahria Town residents.
