Currency smuggling: Khosa makes case for Ayyan’s acquittal

Customs court adjourns hearing till Nov 3

RAWALPINDI: The Customs court hearing the currency smuggling case against model Ayyan Ali on Wednesday began proceedings into the defence team’s acquittal plea.

Ayyan’s counsel Latif Khosa made his arguments before Judge Aftab Khan, who later adjourned the case till November 3.

Khosa will continue his arguments at the next hearing. Making his case for acquittal of his client, Khosa said the model has been undergoing a media trial even though not a single piece of evidence against her has been produced by the authorities. He asked that her client be acquitted of all charges over lack of evidence.

Owing to the hearing of the acquittal plea, Ayyan could not be indicted nor could the court hear the request of Customs intelligence to lodge a separate money laundering case against her.

When proceedings began, the court expressed annoyance at the absence of the defence counsel and adjourned hearing till 11am, directing the advocate’s presence. Ayyan then rushed to the Supreme Court where Khosa was arguing in another case and came back to Rawalpindi with her counsel. At the last hearing on October 16, district bar association president GM Shah had objected to Ayyan’s security guards wearing clothes resembling lawyers, following which they were seen in different clothes on Wednesday.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 29^th, 2015.