According to the verdict, transferring illicit funds through the hawala and hundi system and damaging the country’s financial framework constitutes a serious offence
ISLAMABAD: An accountability court has handed down a major verdict in a money laundering case, sentencing Col (retd) Khalil Rehman, Chief Operating Officer of Bahria Town, to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment after finding him guilty of laundering nearly Rs1.6 billion.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs25 million and ordered the confiscation of illegally acquired properties.
According to the verdict, transferring illicit funds through the hawala and hundi system and damaging the country’s financial framework constitutes a serious offence.
In the detailed judgment, the accountability court, presided over by Judge Nasrullah Minallah, ruled that the prosecution had successfully proven charges of laundering approximately Rs1.6 billion.
The court subsequently awarded a 10-year prison sentence along with a heavy fine and the seizure of assets obtained through illegal means.
Investigations revealed that funds allegedly linked to Bahria Town had been transferred abroad through hawala and hundi channels since 2007.
After extensive inquiries and multiple FIRs registered by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), the court found Col (r) Khalil Rehman guilty of the charges.
The case was registered in August 2025 under FIR No. 19/25 under Sections 3 and 4 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act.
The court reviewed documentary evidence and statements of 12 witnesses and completed the trial in less than six months despite alleged delaying tactics. Officials say it is the first money laundering trial in the FIA Islamabad circle to reach a logical conclusion.
Meanwhile, Malik Riaz, along with Ali Riaz, Shahid Qureshi and others, had earlier been declared proclaimed offenders in the case.
The verdict sends a clear message that individuals cannot evade justice through influence or by fleeing the law, as authorities continue to pursue financial crimes under the law.
