Bahria Town

Controversies

Bahria has been subject to controversies; it is referred to as a symbol of inequality and blamed for illegal encroachment of forests.

To begin with, the name 'Bahria' itself has been controversial, and in 2018, a senior court in Pakistan ruled against the use of this name by the private owners of the project.

Ayesha Siddiqa, a civilian military analyst and author of Military Inc.: Inside Pakistan's Military Economy, alleges that those links have allowed him to acquire land, in some cases returning a percentage to senior officers as developed plots.

Chief Executive of Bahria Town, Ali Riaz Malik, has submitted his statement regarding Arsalan Iftikhar (son of Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry) suo moto case in the Supreme Court of Pakistan that Bahria Town was not behind any allegations against Arsalan and that the court's proceedings were not aimed at investigating the affairs of Bahria Town. The written reply also said that if any statement were made against Bahria Town or against its administration, then the organization would have the right to respond to it.

In April 2016, Malik Riaz Hussain's son, Ahmed Ali Riaz Malik, was named in the Panama Papers.

Dispute with Nayatel and CCP fine

In August 2016, a complaint from a resident of Bahria Town was forwarded to the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) which revealed that Bahria Town was deliberately preventing other fixed-line service providers from expanding into Bahria Town, and thus giving PTCL the majority of the market share in the housing society. It was also in violation of the Competition Act (2010) by abusing its dominant position and entering into a prohibited agreement.