Malik Riaz says under immense pressure

Bahria Town chairman affirms: 'I will not allow anyone to use me as pawn'

KARACHI:

Bahria Town Chairman Malik Riaz said on Sunday that he had been "under immense pressure" but would not allow anyone to use him as a pawn for political motives, stressing that he stayed firm in the face of adversity and despite being pushed to the wall completely.

In a series of posts on the microblogging website of X, formerly Twitter, Malik Riaz said that there had been a "recurring pattern” of victimisation against him and his business for introducing state-of-the-art projects in Pakistan.

“All my life, Allah has always guided me to stand by my principle of not taking any political sides or being used by one party against the other. For over a year now, I've been under immense pressure to compromise, but I'll never allow anyone to use me as a pawn for political motives,” he said.
 

“This has been a recurring pattern of victimization against me and my business for introducing state-of-the-art projects in Pakistan. From 1996 till today, I've been punished for contributing towards the progress of the country,” he continued.

“With the help of Allah Almighty, I have faced such pressures in the past with absolute grit and strength. Even today, in a personal capacity, I can say with utmost certainty, ‘over my dead body’. Despite my ailing condition and distress. Alhumdulillah.”

The Bahria Town chairman said that he was “standing firm in the face of this adversity, bearing financial business loss daily and being pushed to the wall completely”, adding that he “will not surrender to any pressure tactics”. He said: “Allah will guide and help me through this tough phase with dignity.”