ISLAMABAD: Malik Riaz, owner of Bahria Town, on Friday skipped a second call-up notice of the National Accou­ntability Bureau (NAB) that insiders said had been under immense pressure for summoning ex-premier Imran Khan but not calling the real estate tycoon in Al Qadir Trust case.

According to NAB rules, the anti-graft watchdog could arrest any suspect who ignores three call-up notices and does not appear before its investigation officer.

However, there is also a likelihood that Mr Riaz had sent a written reply to NAB’s notices and avoided his personal appearance.

The property tycoon is said to be one of the main suspects in the high-profile Al Qadir Trust case in which the PTI chairman and his wife were facing charges of obtaining billions of rupees and hundreds of kanals from Bahria Town for a deal during the previous PTI government.

Last month, NAB arrested Mr Khan in the same case that triggered protests by PTI supporters who torched and ransacked public and private properties, including military installations.

In the case, NAB also served two notices on former aide to prime minister Azam Khan, but he did not turn up before the bureau on June 6 and June 19.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2023