NAB files reference in Murree housing project case

Islamabad: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has filed a reference in the Accountability Court against Malik Riaz regarding the New Murree Project Golf City, accusing him of encroaching on over 4,500 kanals of government land.

The reference was filed in Accountability Court Number 1 in Rawalpindi. According to NAB sources, evidence has been presented in the reference that Malik Riaz illegally occupied 4,500 kanals of government land and included it in the Golf City project. The encroached land includes forest department land and areas from Mouza Mangah, Mouza Salikhet, and other adjoining rural settlements.

Malik Riaz, in collusion with officials from the Revenue Department and the Forest Department, allegedly included the government land and rural properties in the Bahria Town housing project of Murree Golf City.

The reference, which pertains to corruption, misconduct, and fraud, names 28 officials from the Revenue Department. The NAB filed the reference in the Accountability Court after conducting investigations.

Earlier, NAB Karachi had filed a reference in the Accountability Court against Malik Riaz and Ali Riaz, along with 33 other accused. The reference was related to illegal occupation of government land by Bahria Town. It stated that Bahria Town had violated an assurance made to the Supreme Court.

According to the reference, the Supreme Court had ordered Bahria Town to deposit Rs460 billion and directed the Sindh government to conduct a new survey of the land.

It is important to note that on January 21, 2025, the NAB announced that several cases of fraud and deception involving property tycoon Malik Riaz and others were under investigation. The public was warned not to invest in Bahria Town’s Dubai project, and the government was in contact with the UAE government to ensure Malik Riaz’s legal extradition.