Residents not target, only financial criminals in Bahria Town: Tarar

ISLAMABAD: Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has assured Bahria Town residents that their rights and properties were secure, and the investigation was solely targeting those involved in financial crimes.

In a video statement posted to his official X account, the minister said the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has uncovered evidence of Rs1.12 billion in money laundering allegedly linked to Bahria Town and its founder Malik Riaz.

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His statement follows the Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) decision, dismissing the petitions seeking to stop the auctioning of Bahria Town properties by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

وفاقی وزیر اطلاعات عطاء اللہ تارڑ کا بحریہ ٹاؤن اور ملک ریاض کے حوالے سے اہم بیان

ایف آئی اے نے کامیاب کاروائی میں بحریہ ٹاؤن اور ملک ریاض کی ایک ارب 12 کروڑ کی منی لانڈرنگ، ہنڈی حوالہ نیٹ ورک اور سفاری ہسپتال کو فرنٹ آفس بنانے کے ناقابل تردید ثبوت حاصل کر لیے ہیں۔ بحریہ ٹاؤن کے… pic.twitter.com/yT2MMD3ZRj

— Attaullah Tarar (@TararAttaullah) August 6, 2025

The auction of Bahria Town properties would take place tomorrow (Thursday, August 7) at the NAB Rawalpindi Office, Sector G-6/1, Islamabad.

Tarar further said that during a raid on a Bahria Town hospital, the FIA found “irrefutable evidence” of illegal financial activities, including hawala and hundi transactions. He also claimed that the Safari Hospital was being used as a front office for the laundering network.

According to Tarar, the FIA recovered sensitive records and cash that were being kept inside the hospital to avoid suspicion, and ambulances were being used to transport these items between locations.

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During the raid, he added, Bahria Town staff allegedly tried to burn the records, but authorities managed to seize most of the documents.

He further alleged that the operation was part of a large-scale racket sending illegal funds abroad. “This is just the beginning of the investigation. Evidence is now emerging which proves how billions were illegally moved out of the country through informal channels,” he said.

The information minister said two suspects, Imran and Qaiser, who are already named in multiple hawala cases, were operating the racket and were in direct contact with Bahria Town’s Chief Financial Officer Aamir Rasheed.

These connections, he said, have also been confirmed through seized communications.

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Tarar stressed that the FIA is continuing its investigation and has also located some fugitives. “Those involved in this massive corruption network must surrender to the law,” he said, adding that more details will be made public soon.