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Khawaja Asif: Malik Riaz Can’t Escape Accountability Through Judiciary or Politics

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has stated that business tycoon Malik Riaz will not be able to avoid accountability for the cases filed against him, emphasizing that neither the judicial system nor any political influence will be able to offer him any relief.

Asif’s comments come in the wake of a warning issued by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) on Tuesday, which advised the public against investing in Riaz’s new real estate project in Dubai. The NAB also indicated that the Pakistani government was in discussions with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to seek Riaz’s extradition through legal means.

This announcement follows the recent conviction of PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife in the Al-Qadir Trust case, in which Malik Riaz and his son are also co-accused and proclaimed offenders. Amid calls for accountability from PTI and legal experts, the government has begun consultations on how to bring other absconding suspects back to Pakistan.

At a press conference in Islamabad, Minister Asif reiterated that Riaz would not be able to escape justice this time. “If anyone thinks that there will be a compromise or that changing circumstances will bring them relief, they are mistaken. No one—neither the judiciary nor any political power—will be able to offer them any relief,” he said.

He further emphasized that once the process for Riaz’s extradition begins, not only will he be brought back to face charges, but the government will also pursue other cases against him, including illegal land acquisitions and the construction of unauthorized societies.

Asif pointed out that Pakistan has an extradition treaty with the UAE, which can be invoked to bring back any convicted criminal, provided the necessary legal steps are followed. He described this as an example of “accountability at the highest level,” one that even the media has struggled to address due to Riaz’s influence. “Many media outlets can’t hold these figures accountable, so much so that even mentioning their names is often prohibited,” he remarked.

The defence minister added that the state had finally caught up with such figures after allowing them to go unchecked for 20 to 25 years. “The Malik Riaz saga has been unfolding for the last 30 years, and he has used his influence everywhere,” Asif said. “The financial dealings related to Bahria Town over the past 25 to 30 years lack transparency and demand a national investigation.”

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar also weighed in on the matter, urging Riaz and his son to face the courts and defend themselves.

In response to the government’s actions, Malik Riaz dismissed the move as a form of “blackmail.” In a post on his social media platform X, he stated, “This is my decision, no matter how much you oppress me, Malik Riaz will not testify!” He asserted that despite years of what he called blackmail, fake cases, and the greed of officials, he would not become a political pawn. He also expressed confidence in the success of his Dubai project, claiming it would become a symbol of Pakistan globally.

The reference against Imran Khan, filed by NAB, accused the former prime minister and his wife of facilitating the return of £190 million seized by the UK’s National Crime Agency to Malik Riaz’s Bahria Town project. NAB alleged that Riaz’s son, Ali, transferred 240 kanals of land to Farhat Shahzadi, and Zulfi Bukhari received land under a trust that allegedly didn’t exist at the time of the transfer. Bukhari, a close associate of Imran, recently revealed that authorities had offered him lucrative deals to testify against Imran, but he refused.

“Anybody whose name is involved in this case was offered all sorts of deals to testify against Imran Khan. Fortunately, none of them took that offer—not the businessman, not myself,” Bukhari told.

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