Some people think that what they heard from Mr. X Y & Z is a 100% truth. There are 2 sides of every story.
Here's how things really work in Bahria:
1. Malik Riaz uses bribes to get land, its a fact. Appointed government officials ask for bribes to sell him land. He is a billionaire and bribes/commissions/kick backs are a natural part of the procedure since it is Pakistan and nothing works here as per the books. Neither what he does is fair, nor what officials do is fair. Both sides are wrong and corrupt here. Government officials should be kissing his hands and facilitating acquisition of land for him because whatever he develops is a gazillion times better than what government develops for its people (Slums). But unfortunately he is always offered some land that was supposed to be developed since last 30 years by a particular ministry's low cost housing scheme. Nothing of which was ever materialised. When the regime changes, they bombard Bahria town with cases, declare projects unapproved etc. Most of the times they also need bribes. Sometimes it gets settled, other times it lingers on.
2. Many times Malik Riaz's land acquisition department also plays with him. Once they know from insider knowledge that Bahria has decided to develop this particular area. They buy that land on names of friends and relatives and send those people overseas, just to blackmail Malik Riaz and force him to pay much more for that undeveloped, useless piece of land. This land is practically like huge craters! It is not even a flat land! Most of the times huge amount of soil is brought and dumped just to make it even! It is useless piece of barren shite!
3. Often villagers refuse to sell land only because of greed. They want more and more money for it. Much higher than land's real value. This is why sometimes we have villages in the middle of DHA and Bahria both.
4. All this often causes plots handing over delays, location is changed and sometimes the real shape differs shape of the shown map. A lot of people then protest why our plot was changed? Specially those whose plot is now on a less favourable position. Those who end up getting a more favourable plot stay quiet.
5. A lot of people are fooled by property agent and not Bahria town. They think bahria is like a government housing scheme. We will buy plot (file) for 4-5 lacs once and will pay instalments once it becomes expensive, these people will spawn after 10 years of buying a file (piece of paper) and then cry Bahria looted us, sold our plot, we got nothing etc. No, it doesn't work that. Bahria will cancel your file and pay you back after 25% deduction for failure to comply by the rules of contract, if you don't pay instalments on fine you loose your file. They will sell that plot at a premium price themselves. Often property dealers make fool of their own customers in this too.
6. Primary mistake, a lot of people don't visit bahria town offices. They keep dealing with property dealers, who keep milking them. Some of those who visit, are met with insincere staff of sales office who have colluded with property agents and big investors. They hide information for their personal interests.
7. At worst what can happen to a plot in bahria town is, that you get your money back with 25% deduction and it gets stuck for a while. Money gets stuck if Bahria goes in loss for that particular sector/ project because of cases/ litigations etc. In a v.desi fashion often sometimes you have to know people and have sifarish to expedite your process. Otherwise money is usually paid back in an acceptable time frame if you didn't pay instalments on time and Bahria cancelled and sold it to someone else.
8. Malik Riaz is weird because he eats halal but makes it haram first. His model is excellent, but his practises are shady. He advertises and sells land that he hasn't fully acquired yet. Then deals with the shit later. (Islamically its haram to do future trading, you can't sell something that doesn't exist, in very specific cases it was allowed by Prophet Muhammad P.B.U.H. like farmers can sell their crops when they are not fully ready because they have to buy seeds for the next crop beforehand)
9. Malik Riaz is one of the few billionaires of Pakistan that is running Bahria Dastar Khuwans 24/7 free food for the needy. Free dialysis. Free eye operations. Free hearing implants worth up to 10lac+ rupees. He has even given free houses to widows. He does a lot for the needy, some of which is not advertised. But one can question what is this charity worth if he is not earning the right way?
The man has a lot of good and bad about him but burning offices is not the way to go. Karachi is already full of shit. Government needs to assist housing societies and give maximum responsibility to them for developing cities. Government can't do shit itself! Let private sector do it! Government should just supervise.
Somethings about Bahria town:
0% line losses. 100% electricity bill recovery. They have their own grid stations and supply ahead. Recently some of this has changed but for several years Bahria Town Lahore had 100% generator power backup free of cost. They have mega power generators and the fuel cost for those was paid 100% by Bahria, not charge to end user in anyway! Idk if it is still the same? It used to be same for several years after Bahria town Lahore was made, handed over, people were living there, still under severe load shedding power was provided for free. The roads, footpaths, greenery maintenance is top notch! The foot paths, greenery, roads are more straight and even, well painted and maintained than even some of the most well maintained councils in the West. All mosques are beautifully made and maintained. They have 100% power back up and air conditioning all paid by the society. They have their own fire brigades, hospitals, ambulances, security, bank branches, petrol pumps, restaurants, cinemas, food courts, gyms, zoo, golf courses and what not! You have to live as per rules & regulations of the society even if you are an owner. If you modify the house without approval, if you do anything illegal there Bahria buys back your house at market rate and kicks you out. It is a city on its own with its own economic opportunities.
