Malik Riaz Appeals to Field Marshal Asim Munir Over Bahria Town Asset Auctions

Bahria Town founder Malik Riaz Hussain has appealed to Pakistan's top leadership, including Field Marshal Asim Munir, to intervene over what he describes as the coercive seizure and auction of the company's assets, according to Bloom Pakistan, published 11 August 2026.

What Malik Riaz Is Asking For

In a written appeal, Malik Riaz claimed that Bahria Town properties worth at least Rs238.6 billion have either been seized, auctioned, or are facing disposal despite multiple related cases still pending before courts and other legal forums. He argued that selling key assets at distressed prices would undermine the company's ability to complete development projects and meet its legal obligations, and said nearly Rs372 billion worth of development work has been suspended, affecting housing schemes, public infrastructure, utilities, and thousands of people linked to Bahria Town. Malik Riaz further claimed that he and his family had received death threats and were subjected to surveillance. He urged authorities to resolve the ongoing disputes through institutional dialogue rather than continued seizure and sale of Bahria Town properties, maintaining that the dispute extends beyond a private business matter because thousands of families have invested in Bahria Town projects, while contractors, suppliers, financial institutions, and employees depend on its operations. The appeal states that Bahria Town is not seeking immunity from the law, but wants legal disputes settled through due process rather than continued attachment and disposal of its assets.

The Case Behind the Auctions

The appeal comes amid an escalating National Accountability Bureau (NAB) crackdown on Malik Riaz and his associates. In May 2026, an accountability court issued perpetual non-bailable arrest warrants for Malik Riaz, his son Ahmed Ali Riaz, Zain Malik, and other co-accused in the Bahria Town Karachi land case, in which NAB alleges government land was unlawfully converted, exchanged, or transferred for the project. NAB separately froze four high-value Bahria-linked properties that same month, including Bahria Icon Tower in Clifton and Bahria Town Tower on Tariq Road, along with large land holdings in Sheikhupura and Peshawar, alleging some were linked to proceeds of crime and front companies. Malik Riaz has consistently denied all allegations, describing the cases as politically motivated, and Bahria Town has previously rejected wrongdoing, maintaining that its assets are being targeted unfairly. He is currently believed to be residing in the United Arab Emirates; Interpol Red Notices have been issued for him and his son in connection with an alleged money-laundering case involving more than Rs700 billion.

A Pattern of Appeals to the Army Chief

This is not the company's first approach to Field Marshal Munir. In July 2026, Bahria Town formally appealed to the army chief to halt the auction of its properties and order an independent review, with Arab News reporting that the company argued the auction process lacked transparency and put millions of Pakistani investors at risk. In a letter at the time, Bahria Town's acting CEO Muhammad Ilyas said the company was being subjected to "discriminatory" treatment. According to The Current's reporting on that earlier letter, the company stated that approximately PKR 372 billion belonging to ordinary citizens, salaried individuals, and overseas investors remains tied up in its projects, and that the rapid offloading of assets was damaging the broader investment climate. Separately, in a twelve-page letter dated 11 July 2026, Bloom Pakistan reported that Bahria Town had also sought the army chief's intervention on a distinct matter — an independent review of its long-running joint venture projects involving DHA Islamabad-Rawalpindi, Habib Rafiq (Pvt.) Ltd., and Petrotrade (Pvt.) Ltd., alleging non-implementation of recommendations made by the Joint Venture Resolution Committee.

There have also been unconfirmed reports, covered by Bloom Pakistan, that Malik Riaz sent a personal apology to Field Marshal Munir in June and offered 3,000 kanals of land in honour of Pakistan Army martyrs as part of a possible reconciliation effort — though no official confirmation of this has come from the Pakistan Army, ISPR, NAB, Bahria Town, or Malik Riaz himself.

What Remains Unresolved

As of this latest appeal, no official response confirming any change in the auction process or a review has been issued by the concerned authorities. The underlying legal proceedings against Malik Riaz — spanning the Bahria Town Karachi land case, the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case involving former prime minister Imran Khan, and the broader money-laundering investigation — remain active, and asset seizures and auctions have continued in parallel with these appeals.

What This Means for Bahria Town Allottees and Buyers

For the thousands of families who have purchased plots, houses, or commercial units across Bahria Town's projects in Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi/Islamabad, this dispute centres on company-level and founder-level legal exposure rather than a direct claim on individually-titled, already-transferred plots — but the uncertainty around asset seizures and auctions is a legitimate concern for anyone with money in ongoing or undelivered phases of these projects. Buyers and investors with active bookings, pending possession, or undelivered development commitments in any Bahria Town project should track this case closely, since further asset seizures could affect the company's ability to complete outstanding development obligations. Anyone considering a new purchase in a Bahria Town scheme during this period of legal uncertainty should treat the ongoing NAB proceedings as a material factor in their due diligence, independent of the scheme's underlying approval status.

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Sources

1. Bloom Pakistan — "Malik Riaz Appeals to Field Marshal Asim Munir, Top Leadership Over Bahria Town Auctions", 11 Aug 2026: https://bloompakistan.com/malik-riaz-appeals-to-pakistans-top-leadership/
2. Arab News — "Pakistan's Bahria Town asks army chief to halt property auctions, order review": https://www.arabnews.com/node/2649627/pakistan
3. The Current — "Struggling Bahria Town writes to field marshal for help against ongoing auction of assets": https://thecurrent.pk/struggling-bahria-town-writes-to-field-marshal-for-help-against-ongoing-auction-of-assets/
4. Bloom Pakistan — "Bahria Town Seeks Field Marshal Asim Munir's Intervention Over DHA Joint Venture Dispute": https://bloompakistan.com/bahria-town-seeks-field-marshal-asim-munirs-intervention-over-dha-joint-venture-dispute/
5. Bloom Pakistan — "Malik Riaz Reportedly Sent Apology to Field Marshal Asim Munir, Offered 3,000 Kanals of Land": https://bloompakistan.com/malik-riaz-reportedly-sent-apology-to-field-marshal-asim-munir/
6. Daily Times — "Bahria Town appeals to CDF to ensure fair auction of disputed properties": https://dailytimes.com.pk/1517773/bahria-town-appeals-to-cdf-to-ensure-fair-auction-of-disputed-properties/