Shakeel A Malik
A poor man-turned-billionaire, he is a strange blend of folkloric Robin Hood and modern day Bill Gates, a combination of controversial entrepreneur and wide-hearted benefactor. These attributes make him a spectacular enigma though he insists he is an ordinary soul chosen by Providence for building residential enclaves and helping out the less fortunate.
Hundreds of welfare projects and philanthropic initiatives launched by Bahria Town chief Malik Riaz have endeared the topmost property builder to millions, especially the downtrodden. In numerous instances of individuals and communities in distress, he rushed to extend financial assistance without even direct appeal to him. Declaring social obligation as the quintessence of the entire concept of his enterprise, the realty icon terms his fortune as a trust or ‘amanat’ of the people. For him the secret of his success is his business with God, a phrase he uses for charity, that he has been doing since childhood.
Controversies surrounding the real estate mogul have not dampened his relentless spirit to serve the people in disaster management, poverty alleviation, and other social sectors. He does not care about unfavorable stuff voiced ad nauseam about him. He is aware that huge disparity between the rich and the lower stratums of the society has made the latter cynical enough to look at affluent persons with mistrust and grudge. His aloofness to public criticism is based on his understanding of local dynamics of business rivalries, political factors and pulls-and pushes amongst ruling elites.
Another reason of few rebuttals from him is his resolute faith and satisfaction in his mammoth investment and social entrepreneurship that portray him as people’s man, instead of elites’ man. The people still remember the extraordinary contribution of real estate developer in the aftermath of national crises like 2005 earthquake, 2010 floods, temporarily displaced people in Swat, and Tharparkar famine, to mention some.
As the Covid-19 appeared in Pakistan, Malik Riaz was one of the first business leaders to step forward in mitigating the impact of the pandemic. The property developer launched a four-pronged strategy of prevention, testing, treatment and financial support. His conglomerate launched massive disinfection spray operations which were unprecedented in country’s history. Wide-scale mass sanitization drive was conducted in collaboration with National Disaster Management Authority and its provincial chapters. Thousands of gallons of disinfectant chemicals were showered in vulnerable residential localities in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. Multi-function dust suppression trucks approved by World Health Organization and used in Wuhan City of China were rolled for the purpose. Another hygienic chemical to disinfect human skin was also sprinkled in metropolitan cities.
Testing facilities were installed on economical basis and even free of cost for financially challenged people in Bahria Town International Hospital in Rawalpindi. Bahria Orchard Lahore Hospital provided Drive-Through PCR testing and specimen collection facilities in collaboration with NDMA. Riaz’s organization established a Quarantine Center in addition to dedicating several beds in its Lahore-based hospital equipped with world standard facilities to treat coronavirus patients.
As the daily wagers and factory workers started losing jobs following lockdowns, Bahria Town increased the number of dining facilities across the country to provide cooked food in a hygienic environment. The estate developer carried out a wide-scale ration distribution campaign among thousands of needy families mostly in outskirts of Rawalpindi and other big cities in the fasting month of Ramadan.
Bahria Town’s pro-active role was acknowledged on the international level and it was ranked by the Paris-based public opinion think tank IPSOS as the top company to take crucial actions in fight against coronavirus. In its survey the research institution found that in sixty percent urban and forty percent rural areas, real estate organization was among the top ten brands to combat Covid-19. Riaz’s efforts to shoulder nation’s drive to wipe out the virus continue without hype.
Someone who has never forgotten being poor, Riaz suggested to country’s top businessmen to pay out at least five to ten percent of their wealth or Rs. 50 million each in a special fund for the welfare of the common people. He is of the view that over six hundred eminent businessmen of the country must play their role as government that presides over a fragile economy cannot deal with the enormous challenge of socio-economic development. He has repeatedly warned that the widening gap between haves and have-nots may someday trigger a violent revolt by financially devastated people against wealthy people.
Riaz has been offering to successive governments suggestions to tackle the enormous challenges of housing, physical infrastructure development and poverty. One constant lament of Riaz has been his unsuccessful attempts to persuade the past governments and businessmen to embrace each other for reducing public debt and creating over two million jobs. He questions if he can build houses and mini-smart cities why can’t the abundantly resourced government accomplish the same at national scale. One wonders how much more this pro-poor billionaire would have done for the country and its people, had his proposals found perceptive ears in the power corridors and had he been partnered by successive governments.
— The writer is a freelance contributor.
