SHC directs govt’s counsel to argue over maintainability of Ayyan’s plea

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Monday directed the additional attorney general to argue over the maintainability of a petition filed by fashion model Ayyan Ali against the placement of her name in the Exit Control List.

Fashion model Ayyan Ali had challenged the third memorandum of the Ministry of Interior regarding placement of her name in the Exit Control List. The additional attorney general submitted that the name of the fashion model Ayyan Ali was placed in the ECL on the recommendation of the Punjab government. He submitted the Punjab government had recommended placement of the model's name in the ECL in connection with Customs investigation officer’s Ejaz murder case.

He submitted that the wife of deceased Customs officer had suspected model Ayyan's involvement in the case as her spouse was the investigation officer in the dollar smuggling case pending against Ayyan in the trial court.

Petitioner's counsel Latif Khosa concluded his arguments submitting that the petitioner was once again restrained by the federal investigation authorities despite her name being deleted from the ECL.

He submitted that officials of the interior ministry, including secretary interior, had given an undertaking before the court that there was no legal impediment to her travelling but they had committed gross violation of court directives.

He submitted that the third memorandum for placement of the petitioner's name in the ECL was based on total perversity as she was neither named in the FIR nor the Lahore High Court had issued any direction to place her name in the ECL. The court was requested to declare the third memorandum of the Ministry of Interior regarding placement of the petitioner’s name in the ECL illegal and direct the Ministry of Interior to remove her name from the ECL.

Ms. Ayyan Ali, now on bail, is facing US$500,000 smuggling trial before the Customs Court in Rawalpindi. She was arrested by the Customs authorities at the Islamabad airport on March 14 last year.