Pakistan

Business tycoon Malik Riaz loses 'Bahria' brand name

Riaz’s legal adviser says after examining court's detailed verdict, Bahria Town will file an appeal

Fawad Ali March 28, 2015

riaz s legal adviser says after examining court 039 s detailed verdict bahria town will file an appeal photo courtesy pakistan today

Riaz’s legal adviser says after examining court's detailed verdict, Bahria Town will file an appeal. PHOTO COURTESY: PAKISTAN TODAY

RAWALPINDI: A district court ruled on Saturday in favour of Bahria Foundation and ordered property tycoon Malik Riaz to pay Rs388.13 million as compensation to damages after the latter lost a legal battle over the right to the name ‘Bahria’ for his housing society.

The Bahria Foundation had filed a suit against the business tycoon demanding Rs688.83 million as compensation but the court in its judgment fixed Rs388 million apart from Rs15,000 fine as court fees to be given to plaintiff ( Bahria Foundation).

A court in Rawalpindi accepted the petition of naval subsidiary Bahria Foundation to restrain business tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain’s from using the name ‘Bahria’ for his housing society.

The court handed down a verdict in the case filed against the magnate in 2002.

According to the judgment of Civil Judge Nadiatuz Zehra "claim of plaintiff for recovery of damages of Rs100 million as damages for deliberate and malicious misuse of name of name of Bahria Town/Bahria Foundation is hereby decreed in his favour."

Besides, the judgement said, "Claim of plaintiff for recovery of Rs187.13 million with interest till realisation of bank rate is hereby decreed in his favour."

However, the court didn't accept plaintiff's claim for recovery of amount to the tune of Rs300 million for irreparable loss of trust and reputation is dismissed. The judgment said that the plaintiff is entitled for cost of suit.

In 1996, Hussain Global - on behalf of Riaz - entered into an agreement with the Bahria Foundation to set up Asia's largest private housing society, Bahria Town.

Read: Bahria Town Karachi: Balloting held for plots at Midway Commercial

Two years later, the naval subsidiary told the business tycoon to stop using naval nomenclature for his housing society and the two parties signed an agreement in this regard.

However, in 2002, a case was registered against Riaz by the Bahria Foundation.

In response, the business tycoon levied allegations that he was forced to sign the agreement and obtained a stay order by the court.

"We never pressurised Malik to use his name," Bahria Foundation counsel Sheikh Khizer Rashid told The Express Tribune while refuting the allegations levelled by Riaz.

Presently, Bahria Town has establishments in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Murree and Karachi. The project has received an overwhelming response from people all over the country.

Read: Bahria Town Karachi: Projects received overwhelming response

COMMENTS (12)

Tariq Nawaz | 9 years ago | Reply He gifted a palatial house to Zardari in Lahore.....

Ali Adnan | 9 years ago | Reply Malik Riaz is not worried cause he has already milked the cows.

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S.R.H. Hashmi | 9 years ago | Reply I know that in countries like Britain, there are restrictions on the use of names British, Royal etc and the use of such name is allowed when the institutions are up to a certain standard and maintain those so as not to bring the name into obvious ridicule. For example, not that there are many or any, a roadside tyre puncture shop, like we have in Pakistan, would not be allowed in Britain to name itself as Royal Tyre Puncture Shop or British Tyre Puncture Shop. Obviously, it makes sense. However ours' is a country where almost all sectors remain unregulated, and even where regulations exist, they are rarely applied, except of course when someone becomes deeply interested in the issue, usually for wrong reasons. I think the situation being what it is in Pakistan, the use of name 'Bahria' by Malik Riaz should not have invoked such strong feelings and action. After all, merchant navy ships are called 'Bahree Jahaz'. Now, would we see a spate of lawsuits against companies running such ships and using the name 'Bahree' for them? And the developments that Malik Riaz presents in the name are Bahria Town are of world-class and in no way denigrate the name Bahria. There was a time when Bahria Foundation was in partnership with and entered into an agreement with Hussain Global - acting on behalf of Malik Riaz - to set up Asia's largest private housing society, Bahria Town. When the collaboration ended, all that would have been necessary then, or even now, for Bahria Foundation to insert prominent advertisements in the media to clarify that they are no longer associated with Malik Riaz's business conducted in the name of Bahria Town, and perhaps ask Malik Riaz as well to insert advertisements stating clearly that he is no longer associated with Bahria Foundation. Surely, it would seem rather harsh to deprive Malik Riaz of the name 'Bahria Town' and thus deprive him of the benefit of the reputation he had earned through hard work, bringing out wonderful developments in the process in which the effort and involvement of the Bahria Foundation would not have been overwhelming. There are other factors to consider. The normal tendency is for our businessmen - and our politicians most of whom are also in effect are businessmen in disguise - to make money in Pakistan and stash it in secret bank accounts abroad, or to invest it in real property there. And here is Malik Riaz, who earns and spends his money in Pakistan and also spends a large part of his income on various charitable projects the details of which are available on the web. Just why do we have to be so tough, rather cruel with Malik Riaz and punish him for his spectacular success which greatly benefits the community? We ought to display a sense of proportion, and justice, and not take action of such severity against him which could be equated with sending someone to a firing squad for improper parking of his vehicle, which did not even cause any mishap. Karachi

Khurram | 9 years ago | Reply Leave it, he has the right to appeal. 14 years to get verdict and count another 14 years for full course of law and even then Bahria foundation wins then a new generation will never know what happened. Already, see how low media coverage this issue has got.

usman | 9 years ago | Reply MES is not Navy but army. So correct yiur facts.. The name was forced on him for bahria foundations partly earnings...

Ch. Allah Daad | 9 years ago | Reply @Parvez: Malik Riaz does not need Bahria name, he himself has become a brand. The biggest land grabber of the world with the help of establishment, media and politicians has destroyed Pakistan's best farming lands and turned them into concrete jungles.

Umer | 9 years ago | Reply He was a contractor in Pakistan Navy MES, that is why he used this name Bahria.

Rumormonger | 9 years ago | Reply I hear that he named his company Bahria because he has his eyes on the exclusive economic zone of Pakistan. :-)

S!D | 9 years ago | Reply Case is in court since 2002!!!! This shows you how defective our judicial sysrem is and how powerful malik riaz is!

Fuad | 9 years ago | Reply After succeeding in getting the name back, Bahria Foundation should also recover money for using the BAHRIA name by this fraud 'business tycoon'.

Parvez | 9 years ago | Reply Today it matters not........he has milked it for all its worth.

Rizkhan | 9 years ago | Reply Navy must not allow this creep to use Military name for his evil intentions.

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