FIA recovers Bahria Town financial record hidden in hospital

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Tuesday seized important record that the Bahria Town administration had hidden in a private charity hospital, as real estate tycoon — Malik Riaz — feels the heat in ongoing probe into financial irregularities.

Earlier in the day, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) dismissed the petitions, seeking to the stop the auctioning of Bahria Town properties by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

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

Meanwhile, the seized record include computer servers, digital evidence and related data.

It is said that the record was placed in a guestroom of the hospital while using ambulance for transporting the same — seems to be an “innovative idea” given the past raids on its offices.

That’s why the Bahria Town used the private charity hospital as its “front office” to conceal the financial record that could lead to proving its corruption.

Meanwhile, the seized record also relates to different Bahria Town projects and other businesses/issues.

It is the 190-million-pound case that tagged Malik Riaz with PTI founding chairman Imran Khan who has been convicted along with his wife Bushra Bibi in the high-profile corruption episode.

Meanwhile, Tuesday also the PTI planned countrywide protests — a move that failed miserably to motivate the people in the party’s push to get Imran released from prison.

However, the ECP did come into action and disqualified the nine PTI parliamentarians over their conviction in the May 9 cases.

Read more: Omar Ayub among nine PTI lawmakers disqualified by ECP

SOS CALL

Amid all these developments, Malik Riaz admitted that the real estate giant’s operations across the country have been severely paralysed.

Read more: Urbanisation of farmland threatening food security: Ahsan Iqbal

At the same time, he made a final appeal for a chance to return to “serious dialogue” and a “dignified resolution” with a full participation in any arbitration process and implement its decision 100 per cent.