ISLAMABAD: The accountability court in Islamabad has sentenced a senior executive of the real estate developer Bahria Town to 10 years in prison after convicting him in a major money laundering case involving billions of rupees.
The court found retired Colonel Khalilur Rehman, the chief operating officer of Bahria Town, guilty of laundering approximately Rs1.6 to Rs1.7 billion through illegal financial channels, including hawala and hundi.
The court also ordered the confiscation of assets believed to have been acquired through illicit means.
The verdict was announced by Judge Nasr Minallah of the accountability court, who also imposed a fine of Rs25 million on the convicted official.
In this regard, the investigators determined that funds associated with Bahria Town had allegedly been transferred abroad through informal money transfer systems since 2007.
The court noted that such activities undermined the integrity and stability of Pakistan’s financial system.
The case was registered in August 2025 under sections 3 and 4 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act after an investigation conducted by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
The court examined documentary evidence and heard testimonies from 12 witnesses. The case was concluded in less than six months, reflecting the court’s efforts to expedite proceedings in financial crime cases.
The court focused on that the use of hawala and hundi channels to transfer illegal funds constitutes a serious financial offence. It added that the state would continue to pursue strict legal action against individuals involved in money laundering and other financial crimes that harm the country’s economic stability.
