Ayyan Ali’s plea

The SHC reserved its orders regarding maintainability of a second contempt plea filed by supermodel Ayyan Ali, against the interior secretary, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and immigration authorities for placing her name on the Exit Control List (ECL) in violation of court’s orders according to which she was permitted to travel abroad.

Ayyan had challenged the placement of the third memorandum by ministry of interior regarding having her name included in the ECL. Petitioner’s counsel Latif Khoso and Qadir Khan Mandokhel submitted in the petition that the petitioner was again restrained by the FIA from travelling, despite her name being deleted from the travellers control lists.

They submitted that officials of the interior ministry including the secretary interior had given an undertaking before the court that there were no legal impediments stopping her from travelling abroad but the concerned respondents committed gross violation of the court’s directives by not letting her travel.

Her counsels maintained that placement of third memorandum was based on total perversity as the petitioner was neither named in the FIR, nor had the Lahore High Court issued any directions to place her name in the ECL.

The ministry of interior submitted in their comments that Ayyan Ali was sent back from the airport since her name was placed on the ECL. The ministry’s representative stated that the Punjab government had recommended placing her name in the list in connection with Customs investigation officer Ejaz’s murder case.