Pakistan is set to request the extradition of billionaire property tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain from the United Arab Emirates, signaling a significant move against a powerful businessman tied to the jailed former prime minister Imran Khan, according to a report by the Financial Times.
The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), Pakistan’s anti-corruption watchdog, announced that Hussain, owner of Bahria Town, the country’s largest private real estate firm, is under investigation for “fraud, deceptive practices, and cheating [the] public at large.” The bureau alleges that Hussain sold land without necessary ownership permits, further complicating his legal challenges.
This development follows the sentencing of Khan to 14 years in prison for illegally accepting land from Hussain for an educational institution—a conviction Khan and his lawyers have dismissed as politically motivated. Analysts interpret the extradition effort as a warning from Pakistan’s military and government to other influential figures linked to Khan, who remains a polarizing political figure since his ousting in 2022.
In response, Hussain took to social media to decry the move as blackmail, accusing authorities of using “fake cases” and coercion. He stated he had relocated abroad to avoid becoming a “political pawn” and declared, “No matter how much you oppress me, Malik Riaz will not testify!”
The NAB also cautioned investors in an Emirati apartment project recently launched by Hussain about potential money-laundering risks. Hussain’s Bahria Town developments, which began in 1997, have become aspirational symbols for Pakistan’s middle class, and his expansion into Dubai real estate has further cemented his global profile.
Michael Kugelman of the Wilson Center noted that the action against Hussain underscores Pakistan’s aim to bolster the credibility of its case against Khan while extending its crackdown on influential allies of the former prime minister. The military’s concurrent court martial of Faiz Hameed, a former intelligence chief linked to Khan, reinforces this broader strategy.
Hussain’s legal troubles are not new. In 2019, he and his family agreed to a £190 million settlement with the UK’s National Crime Agency over funds held in Britain. While the deal resolved the investigation without a finding of guilt, the current Pakistani government alleges the funds were tied to the illegal land transfer benefiting Khan.
The UAE has yet to comment on the extradition request, while Pakistan’s foreign ministry and Bahria Town representatives have referred to Hussain’s social media statements for their positions.
