Three British MPs of Pakistani origin — Labour’s Naz Shah and Afzal Khan, and independent MP Ayoub Khan — attended promotional events last year for a major Dubai property project linked to Pakistani real estate tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain and his son Ali Riaz Malik.
Three parliamentarians appeared at events for Waada scheme distance themselves from the developers and their project.https://t.co/YGpdshj2rc
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) April 6, 2026
The events were held in June 2024 to promote the “Waada” project, a massive 14 million square-foot luxury development in south Dubai that includes apartments, mansions, a five-star hotel, and even a replica Eiffel Tower.
According to an investigation by The Sunday Times, both Malik Riaz and his son appeared via video link at one of the events. Malik Riaz told the audience, “The true measure of success is not what we build, but who we uplift.”
The father-son duo, founders of Bahria Town, are currently barred from entering the United Kingdom. In 2019, they agreed to forfeit £190 million to Britain’s National Crime Agency following an unexplained wealth order. The funds were later returned to Pakistan and became a central part of the corruption case against former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Pakistan has also issued arrest warrants for several Bahria Town executives and is seeking the extradition of Malik Riaz and his son. The government has warned citizens against investing in the Waada project, saying it could involve money laundering risks.
Despite this background, the three MPs spoke at different roadshow events in Stockport, Birmingham, and London. Afzal Khan praised the developers’ experience, Ayoub Khan called them “those that created Bahria Town,” and Naz Shah described the company as having “a successful reputation in Pakistan.”
All three later distanced themselves from the project. Ayoub Khan said he had no prior knowledge of any issues and has asked the company to remove his name from promotional material. Naz Shah’s office said she attended as it was an event related to her constituents’ Pakistani heritage. Afzal Khan claimed he only attended briefly after being invited by a local businessperson and did not endorse the project.
The controversy has sparked fresh debate about the links between British Pakistani politicians and controversial business figures back home.
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