SC unfreezes accounts of Bahria Town, MDA

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) Friday ordered to unfreeze the accounts of Bahria Town and Malir Development Authority (MDA) all over the country and directed that court’s order should complied with after understanding it properly.

Counsel for Bahria town Aitzaz Ahsan, who had filed the miscellaneous petition on Thursday, told a three-member bench of the apex court that private banks all over the country have sealed his client's accounts on the orders of the State Bank of Pakistan. He further submitted that as the accounts were frozen by the state bank, Bahria Town is unable to pay to its employees and all other development works has been ceased. He further stated that MDA was also suffering the same crises.

Chief Justice (CJ) Mian Saqib Nisar observed that court had ordered the monitoring of two accounts. He further observed that FIA exceeded its authority. CJ also asked Aitzaz Ahsan that why his client had still not changed Bahria's name despite court orders?" He replied that court had given six months which still have not lapsed and renaming is under process which will be done before six months.

The CJ observed that renaming is not such a big issue."I wish that I change Bahria Town's name right now,” CJ observed. It is pertinent to mention here that in March 2015 a court in Rawalpindi had restrained Bahria Town CEO Malik Riaz from using the name ‘Bahria’ for his housing society. In August 2018, Malik Riaz was barred from using Bahria for his housing society.