Ayyan Ali files another contempt plea against interior ministry

Karachi: Another contempt of court plea was filed against the ministry of interior in the Sindh High Court (SHC), by fashion model Ayyan Ali on Thursday after she was not allowed to travel abroad by immigration authorities despite the court’s orders.

The court on June 2 had for the second time quashed a memorandum regarding placement of Ayyan’s name on the exit control list (ECL), and had directed the interior ministry to strike her name off the list immediately.

However, she was barred by immigration authorities at the Karachi airport to board a private plane owing to her name still being on the list, despite the secretary interior having informed the court that her name had been removed and there was no legal impediment to her travelling abroad.

The applicant’s counsel submitted in the application that the applicant was again restrained by the Federal Investigation Authorities (FIA) despite her name being deleted from the list.

He submitted that alleged contemnors including secretary interior had given an undertaking to the court and claimed that there were no legal impediments. The counsel further stated that the officials had committed a gross violation of the court’s directives and requested it to take action against the contemnors; the court was requested to direct them to comply with its orders in letter and spirit.

Ayyan, now on bail, was facing a currency smuggling case in the Rawalpindi high court. She was arrested by the customs authorities at Islamabad airport on March 14, last year, after US$506,800 were recovered from her luggage.  According to prosecution, she was trying to smuggle the money from Pakistan to Dubai.