Property tycoon Malik Riaz loses 'Bahria'

RAWALPINDI (Web Desk) - A Rawalpindi court on Saturday accepted the petition of naval subsidiary, Bahria Foundation, to restrain business tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain from using the name ‘Bahria’ for his housing society.

The court handed down a verdict in the case filed against the magnate in 2002.

Riaz’s legal adviser, Qaiser Qadeer Qureshi, said that the court, so far, announced a short order and are awaiting a detailed verdict. He added that after examining the verdict, Bahria Town would file an appeal.

In 1996, Hussain Global - on behalf of Riaz - entered into an agreement with the Bahria Foundation to set up Asia’s largest private housing society, Bahria Town.

Two years later, the naval subsidiary told the business tycoon to stop using naval nomenclature for his housing society and the two parties signed an agreement in this regard.

However, in 2002, a case was registered against Malik Riaz by the Bahria Foundation.

In response, the business tycoon levied allegations that he was forced to sign the agreement and obtained a stay order by the court.

“We never pressurised Malik to use this name,” Bahria Foundation counsel Sheikh Khizer Rashid said while refuting the allegations levelled by Riaz.

Presently, Bahria Town has establishments in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Murree and Karachi. The project has received an overwhelming response from people all over the country.