IHC Halts Bahria Town Auction Planned by NAB

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday issued a stay order as the IHC halts Bahria Town auction planned by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), which was originally scheduled for June 12, 2025.

As reported by Dawn, the IHC’s decision came from a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sardar Mohammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Asif, after Bahria Town (Pvt) Ltd. filed a petition challenging NAB’s move.

NAB had announced its intention to auction six Bahria Town properties — five in Rawalpindi and one in Islamabad — to recover the amount involved in a plea bargain under Section 33E of the NAB Ordinance, 1999.

Bahria Town’s legal team argued that the company, being a private construction firm, has no direct or indirect involvement in the £190 million corruption case and is neither an accused party nor named in any related advertisements.

Despite this, the petition pointed out that NAB had seized several Bahria Town properties and was proceeding with an auction process deemed unlawful by the petitioner.

As the IHC halts Bahria Town auction, the court instructed NAB to cease all “illegal disciplinary action” and emphasized the need for due process and transparency, especially in cases where assets are not tied to any formally accused individuals.

The bench ordered NAB and related parties to file their replies and adjourned the hearing. This decision comes months after NAB issued public warnings about Bahria Town’s Dubai project and intensified efforts to extradite Malik Riaz and his son.