ISLAMABAD: An accountability court in Islamabad has handed down a 10-year rigorous imprisonment sentence to Khalil ur Rehman, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Bahria Town, after convicting him in a major money laundering case involving around Rs1.6 to Rs1.7 billion.
The decision was delivered by Judge Nasrullah Minallah, who also imposed a Rs25 million fine and ordered the seizure of assets deemed to have been obtained through illegal means. The court emphasized that the transfer of funds through hawala and hundi networks and actions that undermine the national financial system are serious offenses.
According to the investigation, funds linked to Bahria Town were allegedly transferred abroad through informal channels beginning in 2007. The probe carried out by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), along with multiple FIRs, concluded that sufficient evidence existed to prove the charges against Khalil ur Rehman.
The case was formally registered in August 2025 under FIR No. 19/25, invoking Sections 3 and 4 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act. During the trial, the court examined documentary evidence and statements from 12 witnesses before concluding proceedings in under six months, despite attempts that reportedly delayed the process.
Officials noted that the case represents the first money-laundering trial handled by the FIA’s Islamabad Circle to be completed successfully in court.
Meanwhile, prominent real estate developer Malik Riaz, along with Ali Riaz and Shahid Qureshi, has already been declared proclaimed offenders in connection with the same case.
Authorities say the ruling reinforces the message that financial crimes and attempts to exploit influence or evade accountability will not shield anyone from the reach of the law.
