The federal government on Thursday urged the Supreme Court to set aside the verdict of Sindh High Court (SHC), which allowed supermodel Ayyan Ali to travel abroad with directives to the Interior Ministry for removal of her name from the Exit Control List by June 9.
On June 2, providing an opportunity to the federal government in the matter, a Division Bench of the SHC ruled that its order about Ayyan Ali would take effect on June 9 saying until then the federation can move against the verdict before the apex court, if desired so.
Customs officials had apprehended supermodel Ayyan Ali under Anti-Money Laundering Act in March 2015 after recovering $506,800 from her luggage at Benazir Bhutto International Airport Islamabad. Then she was produced before a Special Customs Court Rawalpindi which sent her to Rawalpindi' Adiala Jail.
After four months, Special Court granted her bail whereas the SHC gave her relief as it asked the Interior Ministry to remove Ayyan Ali name from the ECL on March 7, 2016, however, operation of the judgement was suspended for a period of 15 days in the interest of justice in response to the federation's request in the matter.
Federation through Collector of Customs Islamabad had challenged the SHC verdict to which the top court upheld the SHC order to remove supermodel Ayyan Ali's name from the ECL. The top court had ruled, "We don't feel inclined to recall and rescind the relief granted to the respondent by the High Court on this score at this stage, when we don't see any tenable ground for prohibiting the movement of the respondent, all the same we would not approve of bypassing a forum provided by law".
The model name was again placed on the ECL on account of person liability to pay an amount of Rs 52.9 million on the request of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). She again invoked the SHC with contempt application to which the SHC issued directives to the federal interior ministry to remove Ayyan Ali name from the ECL on June 2 with a condition that its order will take effect on June 9.
Filing the criminal appeal under Article 19 (1)(ii) of the Contempt of Court Ordinance 2003 against the SHC verdict, Arif Ahmed Khan, Federal Secretary Ministry of Interior and Aurangzaib Haq, Additional Secretary of the ECL made Ayyan Ali, Shahid Hayat, Director FIA Sindh, Muhammad Amjad, DG FIA, Muhammad Ali Raza, Collector Custom (Adjudication), Islamabad, Nisar Muhammad Khan, Chairman FBR, Usman Iftikhar Bajwa DG Passport Immigration and Qaimkhani, Addl. Director FIA (Immigration), Karachi as respondents.