Former NICL chairman, five others sentenced to prison in land scam case

KARACHI: An accountability court on Saturday sentenced six people including former National Insurance Corporation Limited (NICL) chairman Ayaz Khan Niazi in a case pertaining to a land scam, ARY News reported.

The court announced its verdict in the case and sentenced to seven years, all the six accused, including former chairman Ayaz Niazi and barred them from holding any public office for 10 years.

Accused in the case include Amin Qasim Dada, Hur Rihai Gardezi, Amir Hussain, Zahid Hussain and Mohammad Zahoor.

According to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) reference, the suspects are accused of purchasing 10 acres of land in Korangi on excessive rates, causing a huge loss to the national exchequer.

The case was initially being heard by an anti-corruption court but was later transferred to the accountability court.

An accountability court had earlier exonerated the former NICL chairman from charges levelled against him for lack of evidence.

But earlier this year, the Sindh High Court (SHC) set aside the ruling of an accountability court against an appeal filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) challenging Niazi’s acquittal.

It directed the trial court to rehear the reference and take into account the market value of the property involved in the scam.