SHC constitutes bench to hear Ayyan Ali’s petition
Model files second contempt plea against FIA and immigration authorities
Talking to reporters after Thursday's hearing, Ayyan's lawyer, Latif Khosa, said that the interior minister was not honouring the orders passed by the courts. PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI:
Sindh High Court (SHC) Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah constituted on Thursday a bench to hear a petition of super model Ayyan Ali, seeking removal of her name from the Exit Control List (ECL).
The bench, comprising Justices Ahmed Ali M Sheikh and KK Agha, will take up her petition for hearing on August 29.
The model had filed a second contempt plea, seeking contempt of court proceedings against the interior ministry, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and immigration authorities for restricting her movement outside the country after the SHC had twice suspended the interior ministry's memorandum regarding inclusion of her name in the ECL.
On June 2, this year, the court had, for the second time, quashed the interior ministry's memorandum regarding placement of Ali's name on the ECL and had directed the interior ministry to immediately strike her name off the list.
However, she was barred by immigration authorities at the Karachi airport to board a private plane on June 15, this year, owing to her name still being on the list despite the interior secretary having informed the court that her name had been removed and there was no legal impediment to her travelling abroad.
Filing comments last month, the interior secretary had justified that the second ban was imposed on Ayyan's movement outside the country following her nomination in a case relating to the murder of a Customs inspector.
The judges were informed that Saima Ijaz, the wife of deceased Customs inspector Chaudhry Ijaz, had recorded her statement before the Rawalpindi police, alleging that the model was involved in her husband's murder.
Ali, now on bail, was facing a currency smuggling case in the Rawalpindi Customs Court. She was arrested by the Customs authorities at Islamabad airport on March 14, last year, after US$506,800 were recovered from her luggage. According to the prosecution, she was trying to smuggle the money from Pakistan to Dubai.
Talking to reporters after Thursday's hearing, Ayyan's lawyer, Latif Khosa, said that the interior minister was not honouring the orders passed by the courts. He explained that the petitioner was doing business outside the country and the court had also ruled against ban on her travel, but those orders were being violated by the federal government.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 19th, 2016.
Sindh High Court (SHC) Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah constituted on Thursday a bench to hear a petition of super model Ayyan Ali, seeking removal of her name from the Exit Control List (ECL).
The bench, comprising Justices Ahmed Ali M Sheikh and KK Agha, will take up her petition for hearing on August 29.
The model had filed a second contempt plea, seeking contempt of court proceedings against the interior ministry, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and immigration authorities for restricting her movement outside the country after the SHC had twice suspended the interior ministry's memorandum regarding inclusion of her name in the ECL.
On June 2, this year, the court had, for the second time, quashed the interior ministry's memorandum regarding placement of Ali's name on the ECL and had directed the interior ministry to immediately strike her name off the list.
However, she was barred by immigration authorities at the Karachi airport to board a private plane on June 15, this year, owing to her name still being on the list despite the interior secretary having informed the court that her name had been removed and there was no legal impediment to her travelling abroad.
Filing comments last month, the interior secretary had justified that the second ban was imposed on Ayyan's movement outside the country following her nomination in a case relating to the murder of a Customs inspector.
The judges were informed that Saima Ijaz, the wife of deceased Customs inspector Chaudhry Ijaz, had recorded her statement before the Rawalpindi police, alleging that the model was involved in her husband's murder.
Ali, now on bail, was facing a currency smuggling case in the Rawalpindi Customs Court. She was arrested by the Customs authorities at Islamabad airport on March 14, last year, after US$506,800 were recovered from her luggage. According to the prosecution, she was trying to smuggle the money from Pakistan to Dubai.
Talking to reporters after Thursday's hearing, Ayyan's lawyer, Latif Khosa, said that the interior minister was not honouring the orders passed by the courts. He explained that the petitioner was doing business outside the country and the court had also ruled against ban on her travel, but those orders were being violated by the federal government.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 19th, 2016.