RAWALPINDI – Malik Riaz faces the worst blow as he may not use the brandname ‘Bahria Town’ for his real estate projects.
The sessions court of Rawalpindi has rejected his appeal seeking thenomenclature.
In March 2015, handing down a verdict in a case between the navalsubsidiary Bahria Foundation and Mr Riaz, a civil judge accepted theformer’s petition – originally filed in 2002 – to restrain the latter fromusing the name ‘Bahria’ for his housing society.
Bahria Town challenged the verdict in the additional district and sessionscourt and the case was pending adjudication.
The Supreme Court earlier this month directed the sessions court toconclude the proceeding in two weeks.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Hakim Khan Bakkhar on Saturdayrejected Bahria Town’s appeal and upheld the verdict of the civil judge.
When contacted, a senior official of Bahria Town, retired Col Khalil, saidMalik Riaz, not Bahria Town, had become a brand name. He said the housingsociety would explore the legal course.
According to the details of the case, Hussain Global – a property firmlinked to Mr Riaz – signed an agreement with the Bahria Foundation in 1996to set up Bahria Town.
The foundation was established in January 1982 as a charitable trust underthe Endowment Act 1890. The Bahria Foundation Committee of Administration,headed by the chief of the naval staff, consists of eight members,including the foundation’s managing director.