Admits to FactFocus, says he pays Rs800,000 in tax every month solely on income from these plots

PML-N’s Punjab government pressured housing society to convert CEC’s residential plots to commercial use

Newly elected management of housing society cancelled the ‘commercial’ status of Sikandar’s residential plots but he continued to receive rent

PMLN’s Punjab Govt now pressuring the new management

Another Sharif associate rented the plots first; Khalid Riaz later took over the payments

Khalid Riaz, Saudi oil giant Aramco’s partner in Pakistan and a prominent oil businessman close to PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, is paying Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja Rs3 million a month as rent of two empty plots.

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The CEC receives the amount as “rent” for “two properties”. However, a recent FactFocus investigation found that both properties are vacant plots overgrown with wild weeds, bushes and untended grass, with no sign of construction or business activity.

The FactFocus investigation released in May this year revealed that two plots owned by the CEC Sikandar Sultan and his wife Rubab Sikandar in Abdalian Cooperative Housing Society (ACHS) in the province of Punjab’s capital Lahore were first brought together at the main road of the housing society. After the February 2024 elections, the Punjab government used its influence on the management of the ACHS and Lahore Development Authority (LDA) and by violating the master layout plan of the society illegally changed the category of the plots from ‘residential’ to ‘commercial’. Even now there are residential houses on all sides of these two joint plots of the CEC. Following this change of category, one of the country’s leading businessmen started paying a hefty monthly amount as rent of these “commercial” plots. Site visit conducted by FactFocus team confirmed that the properties are vacant overrun by wild weeds and bushes with no sign of any development or business activity. (Video of the plots made during the visit of Team FactFocus is given at the end of the story.)

Khalid Riaz is the owner of Gas & Oil Pakistan (GO), a Pakistani partner of Saudi Arabia’s Aramco. In early October 2023, days before Nawaz Sharif left the UK on October 11 and ended his self-imposed exile, Riaz met him at Hassan Nawaz’s Stanhope Place office near Marble Arch in London.

FactFocus first contacted Khalid Riaz in May this year, asking him about his dealings with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja and the hefty amounts he was paying him. Immediately after FactFocus questioned Khalid about these financial ties, changes began appearing in basic information on his company GO Petroleum’s official website and associated social media pages. Khalid, who had been listed as the company’s CEO since 2012, was subsequently listed only as a director, while someone else was identified as CEO.

[A video showing archived versions of GO Petroleum’s website through the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine, documenting Khalid’s identification as CEO over the past 14 years, appears at the end of this story.]

Banking transactions establish that this hefty amount is being paid to the country’s CEC, while on-site visits confirm that there is no business activity on these plots. Moreover, such activity is no longer legally permissible, as the plots’ ‘commercial’ status has been revoked. In 2025, the newly elected management of the ACHS reversed the previous management’s decision to reclassify a residential plot of CEC Sikandar as commercial by declaring it illegal. According to the previous management, this decision was made under extreme pressure from the provincial government. However, records show that Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja continued to receive hefty rent at commercial rates in his bank accounts.

The family of Khalid Riaz enjoys a close relationship with the Sharif family and PMLN. Khalid’s younger brother Tahir Iqbal Jatt, who is also a businessman is seen with Shahbaz Sharif at different occasions. Khalid Riaz himself is given VIP protocol at the time of his visit to deputy prime minister Ishaq Dar’s office. Khalid’s brother Tahir is also often seen in the office of the speaker of the Punjab Assembly Malik Muhammad Ahmad. 

Though both Nawaz Sharif and Khalid Riaz have a close relation, the October 2023 meeting was facilitated by Malik Muhammad Ahmad. 

Malik Muhammad Ahmad had a long-standing relationship with former army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa. He remained in touch with Gen Bajwa after he became army chief. Malik Muhammad Ahmad is said to be a primary connecting point between Sharifs and Gen Bajwa for the finalization of the power sharing deal. Malik on the other hand always acknowledged his long-standing and close relations with Gen Bajwa but always denied facilitating any political deal between the general and Sharifs. Malik Muhammad Ahmad specifically remained very active during the last half of 2021.

Malik Ahmad played an active role in the political maneuvering of early 2022. By his own account, he attended meetings at which General Bajwa advised politicians on political matters. He continued that role after Bajwa’s retirement in November 2022, and was involved in several important political developments leading up to the 2024 general election. This role also included making bridges between PMLN supremo Nawaz Sharif and influential business and bureaucratic elite. Facilitating a meeting between Khalid Riaz and Nawaz Sharif in early October 2023 was one such event. He was made Speaker of the Punjab Assembly after the controversial elections of 2024.

When FactFocus approached Khalid Riaz, CEO of Gas & Oil Pakistan (GO), in May this year, he acknowledged his connection with Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja but referred FactFocus to Mr. Ammar, a senior executive at GO, for details. Mr. Ammar promised to provide details of tax filings and declarations concerning the acquisition of CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja’s plots and the payment of rent to establish whether these transactions had been properly disclosed rather than kept secret. However, despite repeated reminders, Ammar never provided these documents.

The last reminder was sent on October 7, 2026. FactFocus independently verified all details concerning the plots, their forced commercialization and the subsequent reversal of their commercial status through the housing society and relevant government offices. These findings were released in May story.

When FactFocus questioned CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja about the hefty payments he was receiving despite his plots not being used by the powerful and politically-connected businessman, he maintained, “I am paying Rs800,000 per month in tax on the rental income from these two plots.” He added, “I can’t do anything. I can’t say anything as to why they are not starting any business operations despite paying my rent.”

Sikandar stated, “The commercial status was given to my residential plots under the law and by following rules.” When asked about the people living in the area who had purchased plots for residential purposes and expected to live in a peaceful environment, Sikandar responded that they could also apply for the commercialization of their plots.

Sikandar insisted that no favour had been extended to him by the PML-N’s Punjab government in changing the classification of his plots from residential to commercial. He also maintained that his plots still had commercial status and that the housing society management’s decision to restore their original residential status is illegal.

Interestingly, a video of a meeting between the company’s CEO, Khalid Riaz, and Nawaz Sharif was deleted from the company’s official social media pages and other related pages. However, FactFocus downloaded the video and took screenshots before making inquiries. The video also remains available on the social media timelines of some company employees.

Investigations further reveal that the vacant plots were initially rented by Mehar Arshad Mehmood, who is another Sharif family associate and owner of Zoom Petroleum, a relatively small business.

Chairman ZOOM Group of Companies Mehar Arshad Mehmood called on Advisor to CM Punjab @alimdar82 at The Office of AI & Special Initiatives to discuss industry-related matters and present suggestions to strengthen and modernise the petro-chem industry. pic.twitter.com/c0PaeMpCGj

— Office of Ali Dar (@advisorcmpunjab) June 9, 2026

When FactFocus approached Mehar Arshad Mehmood and asked why he had rented CEC Sikandar Sultan Raja’s plots without using them, he said he could not discuss such matters over the phone and would provide details only at an in-person meeting. Mehar also did not respond to a questionnaire sent to him on WhatsApp, despite having received it.

The rent payments for the empty plots were subsequently taken over by Khalid Riaz, a prominent businessman, but payments to CEC have continued to the present.

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