NAB Claims Interpol Red Notices Issued for Malik Riaz, Son

Pakistan’s National Accountability Bureau has claimed that Interpol has issued red notices for Bahria Town founder Malik Riaz and his son Ali Riaz, marking a major development in the country’s long-running pursuit of one of its most prominent real estate figures. The claim was made by NAB Chairman retired Lt Gen Nazir Ahmed Butt during a press conference at the bureau’s headquarters in Islamabad.

According to the NAB chief, the red notices relate to corruption cases in which Malik Riaz and Ali Riaz are wanted by Pakistani authorities. He described the announcement as breaking news and said the accountability watchdog was preparing further steps to seek their return to Pakistan. The development has drawn immediate attention because Malik Riaz has remained one of Pakistan’s most influential and controversial property tycoons for decades.

A red notice is a formal request circulated through Interpol to law enforcement agencies around the world, asking them to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition or similar legal proceedings. It is not the same as an international arrest warrant, but it can significantly increase pressure on a wanted individual by placing their movement under global law-enforcement scrutiny.

The NAB chairman, however, acknowledged that the matter could face practical and diplomatic challenges. He said Malik Riaz, who is currently based in the United Arab Emirates, may not be easy to bring back to Pakistan. He also referred to strains linked to the regional situation and indicated that NAB was sending a team to pursue extradition-related efforts.

Malik Riaz, 72, is the founder and chairman of Bahria Town, while his son Ali Riaz serves as the company’s chief executive. Their business empire has been associated with some of Pakistan’s largest private housing developments, but it has also faced repeated legal scrutiny over land acquisition, regulatory issues, financial settlements and accountability proceedings.

The latest claim comes against the backdrop of the Al-Qadir Trust case, in which Malik Riaz has previously been described as an absconder. His name has also appeared in connection with the £190 million settlement involving Britain’s National Crime Agency, a matter that later became central to corruption proceedings in Pakistan involving former prime minister Imran Khan and others.

NAB’s announcement also comes at a time when the bureau says it is tightening action against corruption and disputed housing schemes. During the same briefing, the chairman claimed that NAB had recovered assets worth about Rs3 trillion in the first quarter of the current year and said special task forces were being formed across the provinces to manage recovered state-owned assets.

The bureau also indicated that it is preparing a policy for private and public housing schemes, including action against the sale of plots through paper files. Such transactions have long been criticised for creating speculative bubbles, defrauding ordinary buyers and allowing developers to sell land before clear legal or physical possession is available.

For Pakistan, the case carries legal, political and economic significance. Malik Riaz’s Bahria Town brand has touched real estate, urban development, overseas investment, political controversy and court-supervised recoveries, making any move against him a national headline. If the red notices are acted upon internationally, the case could become a test of Pakistan’s ability to pursue high-profile accountability cases beyond its borders.

The next stage will depend on whether Interpol’s role is formally confirmed and whether Pakistani authorities can build a successful extradition pathway from the UAE. NAB’s claim has raised expectations of movement in the case, but the outcome will likely depend on diplomatic coordination, legal documentation and the response of authorities in the jurisdiction where Malik Riaz and his son are currently based.