Interpol issues Red Notices for Malik Riaz and his son, says NAB chairman
ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has claimed that Interpol has issued Red Notices against property tycoon Malik Riaz and his son Ali Riaz, according to NAB Chairman Lt Gen (retd) Nazir Ahmed.
Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, the NAB chairman said the international police organisation had issued the notices as part of ongoing legal proceedings involving the Bahria Town founder and his family.
“Today I am giving you breaking news that Interpol has issued a red notice against Malik Riaz and Ali Riaz,” he said during the briefing.
A Red Notice is a request issued by Interpol to law enforcement agencies worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition or legal action.
However, the claim could not be independently verified through Interpol at the time of reporting.
Malik Riaz, the founder and chairman of Bahria Town, and his son Ali Riaz, who serves as chief executive of the company, are currently based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The NAB chairman acknowledged that their extradition could be difficult, citing diplomatic sensitivities.
“Yes, there is the aspect of Dubai’s annoyance with Pakistan,” he said, adding that NAB was preparing to send a team to pursue extradition proceedings.
The development comes amid long-running legal cases against Malik Riaz and Bahria Town, including allegations related to land acquisition practices and pending accountability references. Riaz is also considered an absconder in the Al-Qadir Trust case.
Authorities have previously attempted to pursue extradition from the UAE, with NAB initiating formal steps earlier in 2025.
In earlier proceedings, Malik Riaz and his firm have faced multiple legal challenges, including a 2019 Supreme Court order directing Bahria Town Karachi to clear outstanding payments to the Sindh government.
Separately, in a case involving Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA), Riaz and his son agreed to forfeit £190 million as part of an unexplained wealth settlement in 2019. The funds were later returned to Pakistan, where they became part of a high-profile corruption case.
Riaz has consistently maintained that the settlement was civil in nature and denies allegations of wrongdoing.
NAB says further legal and diplomatic steps are underway as part of efforts to proceed with extradition proceedings.
