Islamabad (Web Desk): An accountability court in Islamabad on Saturday delivered a landmark verdict in a major money laundering case, sentencing Bahria Town Limited’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), retired colonel Khalil ur Rehman, to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment after finding him guilty of the charges.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs25 million on the convict and ordered the confiscation of all his illegally acquired assets.
Announcing the judgment, Accountability Court Judge Nasr Minallah ruled that substantial evidence had been presented proving the accused’s involvement in money laundering worth Rs1.7 billion.
In his remarks, the judge stated that the illegal transfer of funds abroad through the hawala and hundi networks constitutes a serious offense that undermines the country’s financial system. He emphasized that the state will continue to maintain a zero-tolerance policy against such economic crimes.
According to the investigation conducted by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the financial irregularities date back to 2007. Investigators reported that billions of rupees associated with Bahria Town were transferred out of the country through unlawful channels.
The case was formally registered in August 2025 under FIR No. 19/25, invoking Sections 3 and 4 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act.
Despite repeated delaying tactics by the defense team, the court completed the trial in less than six months, a development regarded as a significant achievement for the FIA’s Islamabad Circle.
The verdict was based on testimonies from 12 witnesses along with documentary evidence presented during the proceedings.
The court’s ruling also noted that other key suspects in the same case, including Malik Riaz, Ali Riaz, and Shahid Qureshi, had already been declared proclaimed offenders.