KARACHI: The fate of the petition of the super model Ayyan Ali for removal of her name from the Exit Control List is likely to be known today as the referee judge appointed to decide her case after a split decision by a division bench of Sindh High Court would pronounce his verdict.
Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto reserved his verdict after hearing lengthy arguments from the both sides to be pronounced today.
Ayyan’s lawyer, Barrister Latif Khosa, contended that her client was innocent and implicated in a fictitious case. Her name was put on the ECL unlawfully and unconstitutionally following the murder of a customs officer when she was behind bars.
The counsel argued that the charges against her client were not so grave as to put restrictions on her traveling abroad.
Additional Attorney General Salman Talibuddin argued that the model’s petition was not maintainable and liable to be dismissed.
Earlier on Dec 01 the two-judge bench comprising Justice Ahmed Ali M Shiekh and KK Agha had issued a split decision deferring from each other in their decision.
Justice Shiekh dissented from the view of other member and held that the petition was not maintainable with regard to its jurisdiction. However, Justice Agha opined that the petition was maintainable and declared the placement of the model’s name on the ECL as illegal.
Ayyan Ali had filed a contempt plea seeking contempt of court proceedings against the interior ministry, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and others for restricting her from traveling abroad.
The court had earlier on June 02 this year suspended the interior ministry’s memorandum for the second time regarding inclusion of her name in the ECL and directed it to immediately remove her name from the list.
However, the immigration authorities restrained her from traveling abroad at the Karachi airport on June 15 due to her name being still placed on the ECL.
The model, who is out on bail, is facing charges for smuggling currency from Islamabad airport on March 14, last year. The customs authorities had recovered US$506,800 from her luggage.According to the prosecution, she was trying to smuggle the money from Pakistan to Dubai.
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