ISLAMABAD – The Supreme Court of Pakistan ordered to arrest the formerchairman of the National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) Ayaz Khan Niyazion Sunday.

According to media reports, a two-member bench of the apex court comprisingChief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and Justice Ijazul Ahsan resumed the hearinginto the Rs420 million in NICL corruption case.

The apex court allowed the NAB to arrest the former NICL chairman if he wasnot on bail and directed it to take action against him in accordance withthe law of the land as Niazi was accused of corruption in cases pertainingto the NICL land scam.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) took Niyazi into custody outsidethe court following the transfer of the cases from the FederalInvestigation Agency (FIA) to the Bureau.

The NICL scandal pertains to financial embezzlement by Niazi, then commerceminister (late) Makhdoom Amin Fahim and several others in the purchase ofofficial land.

Late PPP leader Makhdoom Amin Fahim, former NICL chairman Ayaz Khan Niyazialong with other top officials of the company had been booked in casespertaining to the purchase of land at various places and different times byNICL.