The federal government has requested more time from the Islamabad High Court to explain the reasons behind the recent offloading of three close associates of property tycoon Malik Riaz from a flight to Saudi Arabia, Dawn reported.

The request was made during the hearing of a petition filed by Manzoor Hussain Mughal, the chief surveyor of Bahria Town, who was one of the three officials stopped from travelling abroad.

The Federal Investigation Agency had previously informed the court that the names of Mughal and other two Bahria Town officials, Tahir Butt and Zafar Iqbal Shah, were placed on the Passport Control List on the recommendation of the General Headquarters.

Butt and Shah are responsible for land-related matters while Mughal holds the key position of chief surveyor for all real estate projects belonging to the controversial property developer, Malik Riaz.

On Thursday, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani sought a response from the defence ministry regarding the inclusion of the petitioner, Mughal, on the no-fly list. The assistant attorney general, Barrister Usman Ghumman, requested more time for the ministry to submit a detailed reply. Later, the hearing was adjourned until June 5.

The offloading of the three Bahria Town officials is being seen as part of recent actions against Malik Riaz, which the property tycoon has criticised in his recent social media posts.

Earlier this week, the offices of Bahria Town in Rawalpindi were raided, reportedly by the National Accountability Bureau and local police.