What is Cooking between Malik Riaz and the Imran Government?
By Karamatullah K. Ghori
Toronto, Canada
There’s this legend of Greek King Croesus (Qaroon, in our history) and his fabulous wealth, which also finds mention in the Qur’an and the Bible. One needn’t be religious or a scholar of religions to know about his abundant wealth and what he did with it.
But Pakistan has its own living Qaroon. His name is Malik Riaz and his is the type of story—rags to riches—that’s so often the topic of a Bollywood spoof.
There’d hardly be a Pakistani who hasn’t heard of Malik Riaz and his fabulous wealth that, verily, entitles him to be called Pakistan’s Qaroon. Along with tales of his incredible rise from a piddling laborer to Pakistan’s most well-known tycoon, there’re also tales of his philanthropy and largesse. He’s credited with running soup and bread kitchens in many a Pakistani city to feed the hungry.
And yet hardly anyone knows what’s the net worth of this ‘filthy rich’ Pakistani Qaroon? Which’s not, entirely, surprising. Which ‘filthy rich’ discloses his real worth; never mind the well-known bombast, whose weakness for the hyperbole and penchant for theatrics claims much more than he may actually be worth of.
But one could make an educated guess of the Pakistani Qaroon’s bulging pockets as he, earlier this year, smugly stomached to pay back the phenomenal penalty of Rs 460 billion, slapped on him by Pakistan’s Supreme Court, for having grabbed some of the choicest tracts of Karachi’s land for his Bahria Town scheme for the rich and affluent. It can’t be too difficult to get a sense of Malik Riaz’ filthy billions or trillions if he gulps down, without a hiccup, the largest penalty in the history of Pakistan.
Malik Riaz is making waves again, but in a different context; one that involves not only the government of a ‘Naya Pakistan’ architect, Imran Khan, but also the British government.
It was last week that Imran Khan’s Czar (Special Assistant) for Accountability and Repatriation Unit (ARU) Shahzad Akbar broke what he described as ‘glad tidings’ to the people of Pakistan of a major breakthrough by his team in their quest to trace out, and repatriate to Pakistan, wealth looted and whisked out of the country.
According to Shahzad Akbar, in a case related to Pakistan’s looted wealth, with Malik Riaz as its lead character, Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) had repatriated to Pakistan a staggering sum of 190 million Pounds Sterling, the total sum of money settled over a deal between NCA and Pakistan’s Qaroon. It later transpired that the total thus far repatriated to Pakistan was 140 million Pounds, of the cash settlement with the tycoon, while the remaining 50 million Pounds will be coming in later when a mansion, worth that amount, belonging to him in London’s upscale Hyde Park area, was sold.
Interestingly, this palatial mansion was sold to Malik Riaz by none other than Hussain Nawaz, the heir-apparent to yet another Qaroon of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif. Where did Hussain Nawaz get the riches to buy a property valued at a mind-boggling sum of 50 million Pounds?
Shahzad Akbar hogged the limelight for a day, or at best two, before the charade began and pundits were embarked on a wild-goose chase.
The thrust of Akbar’s headlines-grabbing revelation made it look like a major ‘triumph’ in his and his boss’ avowed crusade to nab all the culprits guilty of siphoning off the nation’s looted wealth to safe havens abroad and bring back the booty home.
But it didn’t take long for the bottom to be knocked off Akbar’s barrel, with Malik Riaz tweeting like a good Samaritan that he had voluntarily entered into this plea-bargain with NCA and wrapped up what NCA itself described as a civil—and not criminal—settlement between the British authority and the man at the center of this all, Malik Riaz.
Confusion compounded, galore, as the obvious question was asked: why, as per Akbar’s own assertion, had the money retrieved and repatriated from Britain, been deposited into the coffers of the Supreme Court and not those of the government?
The charade, spun by Akbar, became crystal clear despite his attempted sophistry in response to the question why the SC was the beneficiary of the funds and not the State? The finesse he tried to put on his response that funds would be transferred to the govt. and utilized on civic and social projects of people’s concern failed to cut the muster.
It requires no sophisticated intelligence, or genius, to understand that had it been a deal between the GOP and British govt. the recovered funds would have been transferred to the State Exchequer and not to the SC accounts!
Akbar found it best, in the wake of the controversy so quickly generated to clam up and argue that he couldn’t divulge the details of the ‘deal’ because he was honor-bound by its clause of secrecy. So much for the much-touted and oft-repeated claims of transparency being the lait-motif of this govt. The spirit and philosophy of Riasat-e-Medina shouldn’t keep people in the dark and guessing. Putting old wine into a new bottle doesn’t make it new.
On the other hand, the manner in which the whole episode has spun out into the public domain, the government’s untenable excuse of confidentiality has backfired. In contrast, Malik Riaz’ assertion that it’s a deal between him and the British agency, NCA, seems more plausible and tenable.
It makes all the sense that the parties involved are Malik Riaz and the Brits. The fact that money has been deposited into the SC accounts buttresses the argument that it’s going to be used toward part-payment of the colossal fine slapped on the robber-baron by the court. The British authority wouldn’t have transferred the money into an account of the Pakistani Qaroon’s choice had it not been for the deal cut with him.
So, the obvious question is what’s the GOP’s locus standi in this triangular episode? Why is it trying to claim credit when it wasn’t a party to the deal? And what, above every other argument or contention, explains its argument that it can’t make public any details because of ‘confidentiality’?
One simple question that should be agitating all fair minds is who are Akbar and his bosses trying to protect by ducking under the façade of confidentiality: themselves or Malik Riaz?
On the face of it, it looks like a win-win, all the way, for Malik Riaz. He gets a clean chit from the British govt. for money-laundered by him. NCA clearly states in the comments on its website that it goes after foreign parties or individuals, suspected of bringing in money into UK illegally. However, by cutting this deal with the British govt. the robber baron washes the dirt off his black money, gets it repatriated to Pakistan in a transparent manner and now will be entitled to use it to pay off part of the fine imposed on him by the SC. The Pakistani Qaroon gets home, scot-free. He has taken IK’s govt. for a ride.
But that prompts the inevitable question: what’s in it for Imran Khan and his ‘crusade’ to nab those who have drained Pakistan’s wealth abroad and established empires in safe havens? Is it a party to the deal cut by Malik Riaz?
As of now, the government’s spokesmen are keeping their lips tightly sealed on what’s, obviously, a very embarrassing episode for them. Is there more to it than meets the eye? Is there also a deal between Malik Riaz and GOP in the offing or already signed and sealed? What’s it that Shahzad Akbar is hedging in the garb of ‘confidentiality’ of the deal between Malik Riaz and the British authority? Is he protecting his flank or Malik Riaz?
It’s time the government of IK became more forthcoming and took the wrap of secrecy off this saga. Time is of the essence. Answers should be available before it becomes more sordid and stinking.
K_K_ghori@hotmail.com
(The author is a retired ambassador and career diplomat)
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