NICL scam: Bureaucrats given 6 days for contempt of court response

Chief Justice asks commerce secretary to submit report on embezzled money, appointment of Ayaz Niazi.

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday gave six days to secretaries Interior, Establishment and Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister to submit a reply to the contempt of court notices issued to them in the National Insurance Company Limited (NICL) scam case.

The Supreme Court had earlier issued contempt of court notices to the three civil servants for allegedly interfering in the investigation into the multi-billion-rupee fraud at the NICL.

Former minister Babar Awan, who was representing the federal government, sought more time from the court in the contempt notice over attempting to transfer Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Federal Investigation Agency (DIG) Zafar Qureshi.

Awan argued that the Prime Minister's Principal Secretary was out of the country and a response could only be submitted after his return.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has sought a reply from Secretary Commerce on the appointment of Ayaz Niazi as NICL chairman. He was also directed to submit a report on the embezzled money.

Hearing of the case has been adjourned till June 29.