HYDERABAD: The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has frozen 3,150 acres of land acquired for Bahria Town Karachi (BTK-2) in Jamshoro district and the 67-acre villa of property tycoon Malik Riaz’s son Ali Riaz.

Jamshoro Deputy Commissioner Ghazanfar Qadri, forests conservator and a NAB official visited the site after receiving the order, which appointed the provincial forest secretary as ‘receiver’ under Section 12 of the National Accountability Ordi­nance (NAO) 1999.

Qadri told Dawn that all sorts of transactions relating to BTK-2, on M-9 (Karachi-Hyderabad Motorway) had been frozen.

The freezing order was issued by NAB-Karachi Director General Shakeel Durrani earlier this month.

Officials say government land was ‘fraudulently’ transferred to M/s Paradise Real Estate for BTK-2 project

It mentioned that an inquiry was conducted by NAB which established that 3,150 acres of government land through 94 sale deeds in the district’s Dehs Babar Band, Hathal Buth, Uth Palan and Sarri taluka, Thana Bula Khan was transferred to M/s Paradise Real Estate through its company secretary Tahir Hassan Naqvi and Manager Lands Waseem Zahoor, which was being utilised under BTK-2.

The DG stated that the said land was purportedly to be part of following dehs of taluka Thana Bula Khan as shown in part-IV and V of report of Fact Finding Committee of BTK-2, constituted by the Sindh High Court.

The said land, according to NAB, was notified as forest land vide notification dated May 7, 1966.

According to the freezing order, any further transfer, registration of sale deed or entry in record of rights or caveat of charge over the property in contravention to the freezing order may render the person liable for proceedings under the provisions of NAO 1999.

“The receiver shall take over possession of land/properties; collect proceeds produced/generated; deposit same in separate bank account; prohibit payment of rent or delivery of property to accused or to any other person on his behalf; prohibit any further transfer and /or creation of third party interest on frozen property and submit quarterly report of accounts and physical status/position of frozen land,” it added.

A public notice has been pasted on the property by the Jamshoro civil administration for information of general public that all sort of transactions including sale and purchase, registry/transfer, lease and sub-lease, construction, development works and creating third-party interest have been banned.

A similar action was taken in BTK where authorities froze Ali Villa, reportedly owned by Ali Riaz Malik, located on Bahria Hill.

According to Karachi Commissioner Syed Hassan Naqvi, property namely Ali Villa, Bahria Hills BTK stretching over 67.5 acres (plot no 555) was illegally constructed on government land in violation of laws.

Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2026