ISLAMABAD: Interpol has issued Red Notices against Bahria Town owner Malik Riaz and his son Ali Riaz, Nat­i­onal Accountability Bur­eau (NAB) Chairman Lt General (retired) Nazir Ahmed said on Wednesday.

A red notice is a request to law enforcement agencies by Interpol to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action.

The NAB chairman made the remarks during a press briefing at the accountability watchdog’s headquarters.

“Today I am giving you breaking news that Interpol has issued a red notice against Malik Riaz and Ali Riaz,” he said at the conclusion of the briefing.

This could not be independently verified through Interpol.

Riaz, 72, is the founder and chairman of Bahria Town, while his 48-year-old son serves as chief executive. The property tycoon is currently residing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he has launched a multi-billion-dollar housing project.

During the press briefing, the NAB chairman admitted that bringing Riaz back to Pakistan would be a challenge.

“Yes, there is the aspect of Dubai’s annoyance with Pakistan,” the chairman said, adding that bringing the property tycoon back to Pakistan would not be an easy job. However, he added that NAB was sending a team for the extradition of both Riaz and his son.

Separately, the Islamabad police chief, Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi, met with an Interpol delegation at the Central Police Office.

Riaz and his real estate company have been embroiled in legal woes in the past few years, with the tycoon being an absconder in the Al-Qadir Trust case. The NAB had started the process to extradite Riaz and his son from the UAE in January 2025.

Riaz has many past cases alleging the use of land acquisition tactics for his real estate projects. He and his firm have also been at the centre of multiple court cases, including being ordered by the Supreme Court in 2019 to pay the amount he owed to the Sindh government for the acquisition of land for Bahria Town Karachi.

In August 2025, amidst legal troubles and ahead of planned auctions of Bahria Town properties, Riaz had appealed to be “given a chance to return to serious dialogue, and a dignified solution”.

In 2019, Riaz and his son agreed to forfeit £190m to Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) following an unexplained wealth order investigation. The settlement included proceeds from the sale of a £50m London mansion.

The NCA returned the funds to Pakistan, but the repatriated amo­unt became central to the £190m corruption case against ex-premier Imran Khan. As Riaz and his son have not been convicted of any criminal offe­n­ces, they have characterised the NCA settlement as civil in nature and accused critics of mud-slinging.

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari, who is currently on an official visit to China, on Tuesday visited Shaoshan, hometown of Chairman Mao Zedong, the founder of the People’s Republic of China.

During the visit, President Zardari laid a wreath at Statue Square and paid tribute to China’s revolutionary leader.

Earlier, the president was received by Li Jiyang, senior party leader of Xiangtan People’s Congress, and Ms Zhang Xihui, director of the Shaoshan Administration Bureau of Hunan Province, who apprised him of the life and struggle of Chairman Mao Zedong, highlighting his early years in Shaoshan and the influences that shaped his political thought.

The president was also briefed on the role of memorial institutions in preserving historical material and promoting public understanding of China’s revolutionary history. Follow­ing the wreath-laying ceremony, the president visited the Mao Ze­­dong Memorial Muse­um, where he was briefed on the life, thought and political legacy of the founding leader of China.

Arrives in trade hub of Sanya; will attend commissioning of Pakistan Navy submarine

President Zardari paid tribute to Chairman Mao Zedong’s role in China’s historical transformation and acknowledged his contribution to the country’s str­uggle, unity and development.

Later, he arrived in Sanya, a city in the Hainan province which is a globally recognised tourist destination, and also plays a key role in the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port.

During his visit, President Zardari is expected to hold discussions with the provincial leadership on enhancing economic, trade, and strategic cooperation, as well as advancing progress on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

The president will also attend the commissioning ceremony of Pakistan Navy submarine ‘Hangor’ in Sanya.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2026