Property mogul Malik Riaz is up the creek without a paddle. Again. Except this time, it is not a handful of dirty journalists or crooked babus he can tow in line using his untold riches. The indigenous communities, his luxury estate’s Karachi chapter has been locking horns since 2014, are now done crying for help. An uproar of great proportions has ensued as the villagers are taking on the luxury gated development in the only manner they deem effective: forcefully. Quite expectedly, a violent clash between the security forces and the demonstrators quickly stole the limelight. Amid the alarums and excursions, however, those whose displacement from ancestral lands hangs heavy are conveniently ignored. Mesmerised by the rags-to-riches tale of Mr Riaz, we are in a habit of looking the other way whenever there’s a mention of his criminal shenanigans. Call it a perk of having deep pockets or backdoor influences that go even deeper, Bahria Town has long enjoyed a notorious reputation of operating as a state within a state. He takes great pride in his wildly ambitious housing developments as a respite from the urban chaos. But no self-touted tales–however fancy– can shroud his nefarious activities these estates are pitched on. It is certainly this exemption from the country’s law that enables him to open fire on protesting locals, bulldoze agricultural lands and even wave threats to make living impossible. But then again, this is not the first time he has been accused of abusing his power. Have we forgotten the benign spin the UK-based National Crime Agency took in probing Mr Riaz’s dirty money? Ah! what wonders can one do by having the right friends appointed in the right places! Though the details of his deal are unclear to this day, the tycoon got a shocking acquittal from Supreme Court while the proceeds of his crime found their way back into his pocket. Just as distasteful was his famous request to former Chief Justice Saqib Nisar “to have mercy” when asked to pay at least one trillion rupees as compensation for his illegal activities. The viral behind-the-scenes 2012 footage of two key anchors doing a “planted” interview of Riaz, his short-lived yet very expensive bromance with the prodigal son (Arsalan Iftikhar), the “whispering campaign about a rapport with Abdul Qadir Gillani: the appalling list goes on. The grand 21st-century Zardari’s fort is very hard to downplay no matter how hard the Jiyalas may try to defend him. Everyone knows the Pakistani Genie’s secret to success. Grease some doors with deluxe gifts and tears others down using unrestrained force. We are all well aware of how the ongoing Sturn and Drang in Karachi will end. With certain media owners and Sindh’s cabinet members well under his thumb, Mr Riaz’s art of deal will once again find a place in the sun. If the farming communities braving the wrath of Bahria Town have the luck on their side, the magnate might get a light slap on his wrist. Nevertheless, nothing more should be expected from an administration that is used to letting Mr Riaz have his cake and eat it too. They may cry and they may scream, but the impenetrable walls of Sindh Assembly would be extremely hard to break into. *