The UK’s denial to turn around its cancellation of visit visa must have taken property tycoon Malik Riaz by surprise. After all, he is used to having his way no matter what table he is sitting at. The uncrowned real estate king’s criminal shenanigans are known far and wide. But the fact that a judge presiding over courtroom miles and miles away from Pakistan finally decided to give him a taste of her land’s law has left a huge question mark on our abilities. Remember the Great Houdini show he put on when a sealed envelope made rounds in the federal cabinet and allegedly helped Mr Riaz escape through the back door–that too, without paying the state a single penny. Though the mogul had been the subject of a dirty money probe by the UK-based National Crime Agency, he appallingly sidetracked its asset forfeiture deal. What he lost on the British shore, he was able to win back on the home front, thanks to having big bucks in his pocket. After all, who else has ever managed to jingle coins in front of someone he owes, hand them over, and pull back the very next moment. Those behind the wheels must have felt satiated by the settlement dues he offered to pay Supreme Court as reparations for Bahria Town’s illegal extension in district Malir. However, this logic-defying, topsy turvy money trail is a hallmark of the power broker. Whether it be holding former chief justice Saqib Nisar spellbound when the two allegedly bargained for a clean chit or keeping another prodigal son (Arsalan Iftikhar) under his thumb for influence over another retired judge, Mr Riaz’s art of deal always manages to save the day. Why play politics when the state plays for you? Every now and then, the royal genie steps out of his extraterrestrial universe and throws a bone in the name of charity. Bahria Town Dastarkhwans, donation drives, and innumerable joint ventures with the government are offered as a carrot to silence the masses. Whoever still having any doubts is mesmerised by the rags-to-riches story. So what if him starting off with not even an inch of land in his hand means he made undue advances left, right, and centre to become such a high-profile investor. Undeniably, lack of education has never stood in the mastermind’s way as he wheels a deal here, greases a door there and puts out a political fire on the way. It was expected that the ruling PTI would make a dent in his diamond tent. To make him pay for the villages upon villages he had taken over to build luxurious developments for the ultra-wealthy, the seemingly endless trail of dollars sent to offshore accounts, and to essentially perpetuate his own state within our state should have been the default route. But sadly, this time too, Pakistan turned a blind eye to his nefarious activities. The hapless villagers standing outside his Karachi wing have been screaming the reality of the much-revered Robin Hood, but no one would stop to listen. *