Important statement of Chief of Bahria Town Malik Riaz
In the name of Allah, the Merciful
My dear countrymen, peace be upon you.
I am very compelled today to address all the employees, residents, businessmen and other partners of Bahria Town as well as the people of Pakistan and I want to put my position and case before you. For days I was pressured to become a sworn witness against a politician so that I could be cleared like everyone else, but I listened to the voice of my conscience and decided that I would not be a witness to anyone in politics. I do not want to be a party. I personally think that I should not be involved in any kind of political action.
I am deeply saddened by what is currently happening to Bahria Town, me and my family as it will not only affect me but also the thousands of employees and entrepreneurs who are involved in this grand project. Yes, I want to tell you that by freezing the accounts of Bahria Town and confiscating the properties, the salaries of thousands of employees have been stopped, which has also increased the problems of millions of families associated with these employees.
You all know that I have introduced modern residential projects in Pakistan through hard work and Bahria Town has a unique position in the real estate business worldwide. I also want to tell Arbab Akhtar that if you want to sink and confiscate me or Bahria Town, then maybe someone will come to do business in Pakistan. I also want to make it clear that in every period I was blackmailed with different pretexts. I know very well how difficult it is to do business in Pakistan. He asks for his share.
I also want to put the truth of 190 million pounds and the Al-Qadir Trust case before the public so that the record is correct. But there was no charge of any criminal act, so I asked myself to give this 190 million pounds to the Supreme Court so that I could pay for the land, which was charged four times more than the market rate. I also want to inform you all that I am neither a heroin smuggler nor earn money from any wrong business and that was the reason why British Crime Agency cleared me of all charges after completing all investigations. Now I and my family are being harassed, the housing projects of Bahria Town have been stopped all over the country, just because I did not become a witness to the promise of forgiveness. If businessmen are treated in the same way in Pakistan, then no one will bring investment in the country.
You all know that I have played an extraordinary role in the development of Pakistan, be it earthquake or flood, education or health, helping poor people or feeding them three meals a day in a dignified manner. Be it the field of sports or welfare work, there was no field in which Bahria Town did not play its role. Millions of people eat free food in a dignified way on the tables of Bahria Town across the country. A trust was established in the name of the mother, hospitals, schools are providing free education and health facilities for common people.
I request that those people who are connected to Bahria Town should not suffer because of me. In my sanity, I will fight the case when I hope to get justice, so I present my case, the oppressed, the workers and the orphans to Allah who are connected with this great project and Allah has given me the ability. Given that I am serving them.
My aim was only to tell you the facts that I have put in front of you, now you have to decide what is my fault in this whole situation.
Pakistan Zindabad