Waqas Riaz Houzez Review: ₨23 Million Paid, 6% Work Delivered—A Warning for Pakistan's Tech Industry

An open letter to Pakistan's WordPress and Laravel developer community—with GitHub evidence
January 2026 | Lahore, Pakistan | ThemeForest | Envato

To the Developers of Pakistan

I'm writing this for you—not about you.

Over the past 15 months, I've accumulated evidence that I believe Pakistan's tech community deserves to see. Not because I want sympathy. Not because I'm angry (though I was). But because what I discovered affects your industry, your reputation, and potentially your livelihoods.

I paid $83,000 USD to a Pakistani developer. That's approximately 23 million Pakistani rupees.

The project was never completed. Never deployed. Waqas, the developer, contributed roughly 6% of the code himself while collecting 100% of the money to his personal email via Payoneer. His team did the actual work—and I have the GitHub commits to prove every word of this.

But here's what I really want Pakistani developers to understand, and this isn't a story about bad Pakistani developers. The evidence shows the opposite.

The junior developers who worked on my project can write professional code. They can document their work properly. They can meet international standards. I know this because I watched them do exactly that—just not for me. Not for the project I was paying 23 million rupees for.

They saved their professional work for their boss's products. I got the scraps.

Who I Am

My name is Colleen. I'm Canadian. I have been running a drilling operation in British Columbia for 34 years as a Groundwater Consultant. I'm not at all a website developer, but I've worked on enough technology projects to know what professional work looks like.

In October 2024, I hired Waqas Riaz—co-founder of the Houzez WordPress theme, operating under favethemes on ThemeForest, Waqas runs his company based in Lahore, Pakistan. ThemeForest Power Elite Author status, 54,000+ theme sales, 2,600+ five-star reviews—he was hired to build a custom Laravel real earth services marketplace platform.

His credentials were impeccable. The Houzez theme dominates the real estate WordPress market globally. I proudly thought I was hiring one of the best Laravel and WordPress developers in Pakistan.

I was wrong.

The Numbers: What 23 Million Rupees Bought

Let me show you what I received for $83,000 USD (approximately ₨23,000,000):

The first payment was made in October 2024. The first line of code wasn't written until November 19, 2024. I paid for a month of nothing.

The project was declared "on hold" in November 2025. Thirteen months. Twenty-three million rupees. Nothing that functions as a business.

The Evidence: Who Actually Did the Work?

This is where it gets interesting for Pakistani developers.

When the project stalled, I finally gained access to the GitHub repository. I analyzed all 1,614 commits. Here's what the data reveals:

Commit Contribution Breakdown — ESP-Platform GitHub Repository

Source: github.com/ESP-Marketplace/ESP-Platform — All profiles are public

Read that again: Waqas Riaz contributed approximately 6% of the commits while collecting 100% of the ₨23 million.

Waqas's team wrote 94% of the code. He collected all the money. This is documented. The commits are timestamped, confirming that the information is not an allegation—it is a verifiable fact.

Two Standards: This Is What Should Disturb You

If Waqas had simply hired developers and managed the project poorly, that would be one thing. But the evidence reveals something more troubling.

The same developers who wrote sloppy code for my project wrote professional code for Houzez products.

Six weeks after my final payment, shanijahania (Muhammad Shahnawaz Jahania)—the Lahore-based developer who contributed 50% of my project's commits—created a new public GitHub repository: hcrm-houzez, a CRM plugin for the Houzez WordPress theme. The plugin credits "Contributors: equalpixels"

I compared the code quality. The code was written by the same Pakistani Laravel developer. Completely different standards.

My Project ($83,000 USD paid):

"no message"
"no message"
"no message"
"udpate sidebar width"
"chagne post image"
"no message"
"wiht new design"
"relateion of the user"

hcrm-houzez (Houzez product, December 2025):

"HCRM Houzez plugin - WordPress Plugin Check fixes"
"fixed syncing issues"
"Property sync functionality"
"Webhook support for real-time updates"
"Detailed sync logs"
"Role mapping between WordPress and CRM"
"User and agency sync"
"Lead capture from Houzez forms"

Same developer. "no message" and "udpate" for the hign pay client. Professional documentation is provided for the boss's product.

This wasn't a capability problem. These developers can write professional code. They can document their work. They chose not to—or were told not to—for my project.

Why? Because Waqas Riaz already had my money. The Houzez product needed to be good enough to sell. My project just needed to keep me paying.

The README That Says Everything

Here's something any developer will immediately understand.

My project (ESP-Platform) after ₨23 million:

• "No description, website, or topics provided" in the GitHub About section
• The README is the default Laravel boilerplate—the generic "About Laravel" text that comes with every new Laravel installation
• No project description
• No feature documentation
• No installation instructions
• 1,614 commits but they never wrote a single paragraph about what the project actually does

hcrm-houzez (Shani's free Houzez plugin):

• Full "About" section: "Houzez plugin to connect to HCRM"
• "Description" section explaining what the plugin does
• "Features" section with bullet points
• "Installation" section with 5 clear steps
• "Frequently Asked Questions" section
• "Changelog" with version history
• "Upgrade Notice"
• "Contributors: equalpixels" properly credited

They spent time writing professional documentation for a free plugin...

...but for ₨23 million, they couldn't delete the default Laravel README and write one paragraph about what they were building for me.

That's not a skill gap. That's a choice. And it tells you exactly where their priorities were.

The README Evidence: Side by Side

I want Pakistani developers to see exactly what I mean. Here's the actual content:

ESP-Platform README (₨23 million project)

## About Laravel

Laravel is a web application framework with expressive, elegant syntax...

## Learning Laravel

Laravel has the most extensive and thorough documentation...

## Laravel Sponsors

We would like to extend our thanks to the following sponsors 
for funding Laravel development...

## Contributing

Thank you for considering contributing to the Laravel framework!

## Security Vulnerabilities

If you discover a security vulnerability within Laravel, 
please send an e-mail to Taylor Otwell via taylor@laravel.com.

This is literally copy-paste from Laravel's default template. After 13 months and ₨23 million:

• No description of what ESP-Platform does
• No installation instructions for MY project
• "Contributing to the Laravel framework"—not MY project
• Security issues go to Taylor Otwell (Laravel's creator)—not MY developers
• Not one word about earth services, marketplaces, or anything I paid for

hcrm-houzez README (free plugin)

=== HCRM Houzez ===
Contributors: equalpixels
Tags: houzez, crm, real estate, property sync, integration

Integrates Houzez theme with Laravel CRM for bidirectional 
property listing sync.

== Description ==

HCRM Houzez provides seamless integration between the Houzez 
real estate theme and a Laravel-based CRM system. It enables 
bidirectional synchronization of:

* Property listings
* Property taxonomies (types, statuses, labels, features)
* Users and agencies
* Leads from contact forms

= Features =

* Automatic sync on save
* Bulk sync operations
* Webhook support for real-time updates
* Detailed sync logs
* Role mapping between WordPress and CRM

== Installation ==

1. Upload the plugin files to `/wp-content/plugins/hcrm-houzez`
2. Activate the plugin through the 'Plugins' screen in WordPress
3. Go to HCRM Houzez settings to configure your CRM API connection
4. Enter your API base URL and token
5. Configure sync settings as needed

== Changelog ==

= 1.0.0 =
* Initial release
* Property sync functionality
* Taxonomy sync
* User and agency sync
* Lead capture from Houzez forms
* Webhook support

Same developer. Same team. Same skills.

For a free plugin: professional documentation, clear features, installation steps, and a changelog.

For ₨23 million: the default text that comes when you type laravel new project.

The Code Quality Evidence

I obtained the source code for both projects. Here's what I found:

hcrm-houzez (free plugin): 12,481 lines of PHP

Every file has proper documentation:

php

<?php
/**
 * Property Sync class for handling property synchronization.
 *
 * @package HCRM_Houzez
 * @since   1.0.0
 */

/**
 * Class HCRM_Sync_Property
 *
 * Handles the synchronization of property data between WordPress and CRM.
 *
 * @since 1.0.0
 */
class HCRM_Sync_Property {

    /**
     * Data mapper instance.
     *
     * @var HCRM_Data_Mapper
     */
    private $mapper;

    /**
     * Prepare property data for API submission.
     *
     * @param int $property_id WordPress property ID.
     * @return array API-ready property data.
     */
    public function prepare_for_api($property_id) {

• PHPDoc comments on every class
• @package, @since, @param, @return tags
• Clear descriptions of what each method does
• Security checks on every file
• 4 documentation files totaling 50KB+

ESP-Platform (₨23 million): What the reviewer found

From the independent code review:

Since there was no documentation it took us a few days to open files and see what's going on.

No work has been completed on the formal system architecture; current progress is limited to basic CRUD implementation.

None of the required Database Relationships defined in the PRD have been implemented.

Our suggestion: start over build it from scratch.

The comparison:

They knew how to write professional code. They knew how to document projects. They chose not to do it for the project I was paying ₨23 million for.

The Timeline: Follow the Money

The pattern is clear: while I was paying ₨23 million for custom development, the developers were primarily building Houzez products.

My money may have been subsidizing Houzez's record development year. When my payments stopped, the lead developer immediately pivoted to building new Houzez products.

What I Asked For—And Never Received

Three times I requested basic financial documentation:

• Invoices for work performed
• Timesheets showing hours worked
• Any accounting of how ₨23 million was spent

Three times: refused.

No legitimate business operates this way. When a client pays ₨23 million and asks where the money went, "no" is not a professional answer. Always, Waqas just said, "this is an in-house project; we treat it like our own; we don't document."

The Lie: "Houzez Developers Never Worked on ESP Marketplace" According to Waqas

Waqas claimed his Houzez developers never worked on my project.

GitHub shows that: shanijahania contributed 50% of ESP commits.

LinkedIn shows: In October 2025—while I was still paying—shanijahania posted publicly about Houzez work with #EqualPixels (Waqas's company).

The timestamps don't lie. Full evidence and timeline →

The Manipulation: What Kept Me Paying

I want Pakistani developers to understand how this worked, because some of you may recognize these patterns from your own industry:

Each statement kept me from asking harder questions. Each statement bought more time and more payments.

I'm not saying every statement was a deliberate lie. I'm saying the evidence contradicts every statement, and 23 million rupees are missing.

His Response When Confronted

When I finally sent a formal demand letter with the evidence, here was Waqas Riaz's response via WhatsApp:

"Hi"

"I got your email"

"I can just feel sorry for you"

Then came the demands and threats:

"This is now the fifth time you have made serious allegations without providing any supporting evidence, despite repeated written requests. If you believe you have 'documentation,' then provide it in writing as follows:

1. The complete 'forensic audit' / technical audit report(s) you claim to have (auditor/company, date, scope, methodology, and findings).

2. An itemized list of alleged non-deliverables mapped to the agreed scope/timeline, with specific references (URLs, repo paths, screenshots, database/table references, and dates).

3. The exact logs you are relying on (GitHub/server entries) with timestamps and context."

"Further threats or defamatory statements made to third parties without evidence will be treated as a serious matter, and I will take steps to protect my rights."

He demands forensic audit reports, itemized lists, repo paths, screenshots, and timestamps.

Let me show you the irony:

What He Demands From Me vs. What He Provided

He demands professional documentation from me while providing NOTHING when I ask how my money is being spent.

Three times I requested invoices. Three times: refused. Now he demands I provide forensic audits, repo paths, and timestamps—all of which exist on this website.

Here is your documentation, Waqas:

• Forensic audit: Independent Pakistani senior developer and team review stating that "Hardly 15-20% complete... Very criminal of him to charge like this, Colleen"
• Itemized analysis: 1,614 commits analyzed, showing you contributed 6%
• Repo paths: github.com/ESP-Marketplace/ESP-Platform with default Laravel README after 13 months
• Screenshots: Preserved and published
• Timestamps: Every commit dated, every payment receipted

The evidence he claims doesn't exist is what you're reading right now.

Waqas also told me verbally that there's nothing I can do under Pakistani law—that I must simply accept the loss.

When I shared this with the independent Pakistani developer who reviewed the code, his response was:

"He said this? How shameless."

This is not how legitimate businesses respond to client complaints. This is how someone responds when they believe they are untouchable.

To be clear: Everything on this website is documented fact. The commits are timestamped. The payments to Waqas are receipted. The code comparison is verifiable. I welcome any corrections to factual errors. That is not defamation—that is accountability.

Independent Verification: What a Pakistani Developer Found

I didn't want to rely solely on my own analysis. So I hired an independent senior developer to review the code with his team.

He's Pakistani.

Here's what he and his team conclude after reviewing the ESP-Platform repository:

The Professional Assessment

"Quantification of Work Completed vs. Product Requirement Document (PRD):

- Architecture vs. CRUD: No work has been completed on the formal system architecture; current progress is limited to basic CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) implementation.

- Prototype Limitations: The current version is a prototype focused on basic data entry. It does not yet include the complex business rules or automated workflows required by the PRD to function efficiently.

- Database Structure: None of the required Database Relationships defined in the PRD have been implemented.

- Scalability & Framework Risks: Use of Filament/Livewire for the prototype introduces long-term production risks, including component security exposures, performance bottlenecks, and scalability limitations due to its monolithic nature and vendor lock-in.

- Security & PayPal Viability: The prototype lacks all security levels, putting user data at risk. This directly threatens the PayPal integration, as insecure sites are frequently flagged and blocked by PayPal's fraud prevention systems, halting all payments.

So Can this code be used? Yes, but it will have serious performance and scalability issues later!

Our suggestion: build it from scratch."

Build it from scratch. After ₨23 million. That's the professional verdict!

The Conversation That Followed

When I asked him directly about the work, here's what he said:

Me: "How much work did they actually do?"

Him: "Hardly 15-20%. More than that, their approach was wrong."

Him: "Foundation laid was not right."

Him: "Since there was no documentation it took us a few days to open files and see what's going on."

Me: "So he basically he was just wanting the money?"

Him: "He didn't know what he was doing."

Him: "Very criminal of him to charge like this."

Read that again. A Pakistani senior developer reviewed the code and called it "very criminal."

Not me—a foreigner who might not understand. A Pakistani professional who reviewed every file.

The Legal Question

Me: "Can I do anything?"

Me: "Waqas told me nothing I can do in Pakistani law."

Me: "He said I must accept."

Him: "He said this? How shameless."

Him: "I think you can. After all this it's worth an attempt."

Him: "Contact Pakistan FIA cyber crime wing."

A Pakistani developer reviewed the evidence and recommended I contact Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency.

This is not a cultural misunderstanding. This is not a foreigner who doesn't understand how business works in Pakistan. This is a Pakistani professional looking at the evidence and calling it what it is.

The Question for Pakistan's Developer Community

I'm not here to tell you what to think. I'm here to show you evidence and ask questions:

1. How common is this in Pakistan's freelance and software industry?

Are there other international clients who paid Pakistani developers or Lahore software houses large sums and received incomplete work? Is this an isolated incident or a pattern? I genuinely don't know.

2. Does this concern you as Pakistani tech professionals?

Pakistan's IT industry has grown remarkably, with Pakistani WordPress developers, Laravel developers, and software engineers working for companies worldwide. Your reputation for quality work is an economic asset worth billions in foreign exchange.

When one ThemeForest Power Elite Author collects ₨23 million, delivers 6% of the work himself, and leaves a foreign client with nothing—does that concern you? Does it matter if international clients start asking harder questions about Pakistani freelancers?

3. What do you know about Waqas Riaz, favethemes, or equalpixels?

Waqas Riaz is not unknown in Lahore's tech community. Houzez is one of the most successful WordPress themes ever sold on ThemeForest/Envato. Some of you may know him. Some of you may have worked with him at equalpixels or otherwise.

I'm not asking you to condemn anyone. I'm asking: does this evidence surprise you?

4. What should the standard be for Pakistani developers?

When a client pays ₨23 million:

• Should they receive invoices?
• Should they receive documented code?
• Should the project be completed?

If your answer is yes, then we agree on the standards. The question is whether they were met.

What This Means for Pakistani Developers

I want to be absolutely clear: I am not criticizing Pakistani developers or Lahore's tech industry.

The developers who worked on my project—Muhammad Shahnawaz Jahania (shanijahania), Muhammad Khalil (MuhammadKhalil492), Shoaib—demonstrated they can write professional WordPress and Laravel code. The hcrm-houzez repository proves it. Their PHP skills are real.

The problem is not Pakistani talent. Pakistan produces excellent WordPress developers, Laravel developers, and software engineers. The problem is what happens when someone collects ₨23 million, contributes 6% of the work, delivers substandard results, and refuses to provide basic documentation.

That's not a nationality problem. That's an integrity problem with one individual: Waqas Riaz of favethemes/equalpixels in Lahore.

But here's why Pakistani developers should care: when this happens, it affects your reputation.

Every international client who gets burned by one Pakistani freelancer or software house becomes more skeptical of the next Pakistani developer on Upwork, Fiverr, or ThemeForest. Every story like mine that circulates in business communities makes it harder for legitimate Pakistani developers to win contracts.

The developers who did 94% of the work on my project will never be credited. They'll never be able to use it in their portfolios. They did the labor; someone else took the money and the reputation.

That should bother Lahore's tech community. That should bother Pakistan's entire IT industry.

The Ecosystem Reality

There's a broader context Pakistani developers should understand.

Waqas Riaz built his reputation on ThemeForest, which is owned by Envato, which was acquired by Shutterstock in July 2024 for $245 million. Shutterstock's stock has collapsed 73% since 2021. The entire WordPress theme marketplace model is declining.

I've documented this extensively at houzezthemereview.com. The short version: the business model that created Houzez's success is dying.

When a core business is declining, some people pivot to new opportunities. Others extract maximum value while they still can.

I believe I was a source of extraction. ₨23 million over 13 months, from a client who trusted the reputation, didn't understand the ecosystem pressures, and kept paying because she believed in the project.

The Documentation

Everything I've described is documented:

• Payoneer payment receipts: 13 payments totaling $83,000 to waqasriaz9770@gmail.com
• GitHub commit analysis: 1,614 commits with full author attribution
• Code quality comparison: Side-by-side analysis of commit messages
• Timeline evidence: Dates, amounts, and repository activity

This is publicly available at houzezthemereview.com. I invite verification. I invite correction if I've made errors. I invite Waqas Riaz to provide his documentation—invoices, timesheets, any evidence of where ₨23 million went.

The evidence is permanent. The commits are timestamped. The payments are receipted.

An Invitation to Respond

I'm not asking Pakistani developers to take my side. I'm asking you to look at the evidence and form your own conclusions.

If you believe I'm wrong, tell me why. If you believe the evidence is incomplete, tell me what's missing. If you have information that changes this story, I will publish corrections.

But if you look at this evidence and recognize a pattern—if this matches stories you've heard, practices you've seen, or experiences you've had—then maybe this conversation needs to happen.

Pakistan's tech industry is too important to be damaged by practitioners who collect millions and deliver excuses.

The developers who actually did the work deserve better.

The international clients who trust Pakistani developers deserve better.

And Pakistan's reputation in the global tech economy deserves better.

How to Reach Me

I can be contacted through hello@ESPMarketplace.com

I will publish any substantive response from Waqas Riaz. I will correct any factual errors. I will engage honestly with anyone who wants to discuss this evidence.

The documentation exists. The question is what Pakistan's tech community wants to do with it.

The Bottom Line

₨23 million paid. 6% contributed by the person who collected the money. Professional code has been written for his products. Sloppy code delivered to the paying client. Zero invoices provided. Project never completed.

This is not an accusation. This is a summary of documented evidence.

What Pakistani developers do with this information is up to you.

Glossary for Non-Technical Readers

Commit: A saved change to code in a repository. Each commit is timestamped and attributed to a specific developer. Commits cannot be forged without detection.

Repository: A storage location for code, typically managed through Git. Records complete history of all changes.

GitHub: The world's largest platform for hosting code repositories. Used by millions of developers worldwide.

Laravel: A popular PHP web application framework used for building websites and applications. The ESP-Platform project was built using Laravel.

WordPress: The world's most popular content management system, powering over 40% of websites. The Houzez theme runs on WordPress.

README: A documentation file that explains what a project does, how to install it, and how to use it. Every professional project should have a customized README.

"No message" commit: When a developer saves code changes without describing what was changed. Considered unprofessional practice because it makes code unmaintainable.

ThemeForest: Marketplace for website themes, owned by Envato (now Shutterstock). Where Houzez theme is sold.

Envato: Australian company that owns ThemeForest, CodeCanyon, and other digital marketplaces. Acquired by Shutterstock in 2024.

Power Elite Author: ThemeForest's highest seller status, indicating millions in sales.

PHPDoc: Documentation comments in PHP code that explain what functions and classes do. Professional code includes PHPDoc on every method.

FIA: Federal Investigation Agency of Pakistan, responsible for investigating cyber crimes and fraud.

Optional Addition: Social Media Summary

For Pakistani tech Facebook groups/LinkedIn:

Waqas Riaz Houzez Review: ₨23 Million Paid, 6% Work Delivered

ThemeForest Power Elite Author. favethemes. equalpixels. Lahore.

$83,000 USD paid over 13 months for custom Laravel development.

What I received: A project that was never deployed.

What GitHub shows: Waqas Riaz contributed 6% of commits. His team (shanijahania, MuhammadKhalil492) did 94% of the work.

What an independent Pakistani senior developer said after reviewing the code:"Hardly 15-20% complete""Foundation laid was not right""Very criminal of him to charge like this""Contact Pakistan FIA cyber crime wing"

Same Lahore developers wrote professional code for Houzez products, "no message" commits for my project. Default Laravel README after ₨23M—no documentation whatsoever.

I'm not criticizing Pakistani developers—the GitHub evidence shows they CAN do professional WordPress and Laravel work. A Pakistani professional reviewed this and called it "very criminal."

Full documentation: houzezthemereview.com

#WaqasRiaz #Houzez #favethemes #equalpixels #ThemeForest #LahoreTech #PakistanDevelopers #WordPressFraud #LaravelPakistan

Shorter version for Twitter/X:

₨23M ($83K USD) paid to Houzez co-founder Waqas Riaz / favethemes / equalpixels (Lahore).

Project never completed. GitHub shows he contributed 6%.

Pakistani developer reviewed: "Hardly 15-20% done. Very criminal. Contact FIA."

Full evidence: houzezthemereview.com

#Houzez #WaqasRiaz #ThemeForest

For WordPress/Laravel developer communities:

$83,000 paid to ThemeForest Power Elite Author for custom Laravel real estate marketplace. 1,614 GitHub commits analyzed.

The developer I paid (Waqas Riaz / favethemes / equalpixels) contributed 6% of the code. His Lahore team did 94%.

Same team wrote professional PHPDoc commits for Houzez products, "no message" for my project. Default Laravel README.md after 13 months—no project documentation whatsoever.

Independent code review by Pakistani Laravel developer: "Hardly 15-20% complete. Build from scratch."

Evidence at houzezthemereview.com

Optional Addition: Key Statistics Card (for sharing)

WAQAS RIAZ / FAVETHEMES / EQUALPIXELS
HOUZEZ THEME CO-FOUNDER — LAHORE, PAKISTAN
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
₨23,000,000 paid ($83,000 USD)
13 months duration  
1,614 GitHub commits
6% by Waqas Riaz
94% by his team (shanijahania, MuhammadKhalil492)
45+ "no message" commits
0 invoices provided
0 deployments
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
INDEPENDENT REVIEW (Pakistani Laravel developer):
"Hardly 15-20% complete"
"Very criminal of him to charge like this"
"Contact Pakistan FIA cyber crime wing"
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Same developer (Shahnawaz Jahania).
Professional README for hcrm-houzez plugin.
Default Laravel boilerplate for ₨23M project.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
houzezthemereview.com
#WaqasRiaz #Houzez #ThemeForest #favethemes

Image Evidence to Include

When publishing, include these screenshots:

1. ESP-Platform GitHub — showing "No description, website, or topics provided" and default Laravel README
2. hcrm-houzez GitHub — showing professional README with Description, Features, Installation, FAQ, Changelog
3. Conversation with independent reviewer — showing "Hardly 15-20%", "Very criminal", and "Contact Pakistan FIA cyber crime wing" (with name redacted)
4. Side-by-side commit messages — "no message" vs professional documentation
5. WhatsApp messages from Waqas Riaz — "I can just feel sorry for you" and legal threats

These visuals will communicate instantly to Pakistani developers what words cannot.