Ban on travelling: Court dismisses Ayyan’s urgent hearing plea
Model has filed a second contempt case against interior ministry
Model has filed a second contempt case against interior ministry. PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI:
The Sindh High Court (SHC) dismissed on Tuesday an application seeking urgent hearing on a second contempt application filed by model Ayyan Ali against the interior secretary.
The division bench, headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, passed the order. During the hearing, additional attorney general Salman Talibuddin said the Supreme Court had restrained the SHC from passing any order in this matter on the government's appeal.
The stay is still in the field, he added. In view of the additional attorney general's statement, the bench dismissed the application seeking urgent application on the contempt plea till a further order is passed by the Supreme Court.
The model had filed a second contempt of court case against the interior ministry after she was not allowed to travel abroad by immigration authorities, despite the court's orders on June 16. The model said that the SHC had quashed on June 2 a memorandum regarding placement of Ali's name on the exit control list (ECL) for the second time. Subsequently, the SHC had also ordered the interior ministry to immediately strike her name off the list.
However, Ali was barred by the immigration authorities at Karachi airport to travel abroad, owing to her name still being on the list.
The interior secretary had earlier given an undertaking in the court that the model's name was removed and there was no legal impediment to her travelling abroad. In the plea, it was stated that the applicant was again restrained by the Federal Investigation Agency from leaving the country, despite her name being deleted from the ECL.
It was said that the alleged contemnors, including the interior secretary, had given an undertaking before the court, therefore the officials committed a violation of the court's orders.
The court was pleaded to take action against the contemnors and to direct them to comply with the court's earlier orders. Ayyan is presently out on bail in a currency smuggling case against her in a Rawalpindi court after she was caught allegedly smuggling around half a million dollars at Islamabad airport last year.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 29th, 2016.
The Sindh High Court (SHC) dismissed on Tuesday an application seeking urgent hearing on a second contempt application filed by model Ayyan Ali against the interior secretary.
The division bench, headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, passed the order. During the hearing, additional attorney general Salman Talibuddin said the Supreme Court had restrained the SHC from passing any order in this matter on the government's appeal.
The stay is still in the field, he added. In view of the additional attorney general's statement, the bench dismissed the application seeking urgent application on the contempt plea till a further order is passed by the Supreme Court.
The model had filed a second contempt of court case against the interior ministry after she was not allowed to travel abroad by immigration authorities, despite the court's orders on June 16. The model said that the SHC had quashed on June 2 a memorandum regarding placement of Ali's name on the exit control list (ECL) for the second time. Subsequently, the SHC had also ordered the interior ministry to immediately strike her name off the list.
However, Ali was barred by the immigration authorities at Karachi airport to travel abroad, owing to her name still being on the list.
The interior secretary had earlier given an undertaking in the court that the model's name was removed and there was no legal impediment to her travelling abroad. In the plea, it was stated that the applicant was again restrained by the Federal Investigation Agency from leaving the country, despite her name being deleted from the ECL.
It was said that the alleged contemnors, including the interior secretary, had given an undertaking before the court, therefore the officials committed a violation of the court's orders.
The court was pleaded to take action against the contemnors and to direct them to comply with the court's earlier orders. Ayyan is presently out on bail in a currency smuggling case against her in a Rawalpindi court after she was caught allegedly smuggling around half a million dollars at Islamabad airport last year.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 29th, 2016.