ISLAMABAD – Plea seeking confiscation of model Ayyan Ali’s passport in currency smuggling case was filed in Supreme Court on Thursday.
The plea was moved by Shahid Orakzai who maintained that customs court ordered return of Ayyan’s passport after her conviction. The petitioner alleged customs court’s judge of making a mockery of freedom of movement under Article-15 of the Constitution.
Freedom of movement allows anyone who is restricted by the law to remain in country and move freely throughout Pakistan. When a ten-year-old infant battling for life cannot get a clear road to hospital, how come a criminal convicted of smuggling at least $5 lac is allowed to travel abroad, the plea questions.
The petition does not request the Supreme Court to order Ali to handover her passport but to take action against customs court’s judge concerned. It should be mentioned here that on March 6 the Sindh High Court had ordered authorities to expunge Ayyan’s name from Exit Control List (ECL) in currency smuggling case.
The model had approached the Sindh High Court seeking removal of her name from the list and permission to travel abroad. Ayyan had maintained in her petition that her mother was severely ill and also she was bearing losses in business matters. However, Attorney General requested the court to grant ten-day time in the matter.
The court entertained Attorney General’s request and delayed implementation on its order pertaining to removal of Ali’s name from ECL for ten days. Ayyan Ali was booked in March last year at Islamabad’s Benazir International Airport for attempt to smuggle more than $5 lac cash to United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Airport Security Force (ASF) had apprehended Ayyan before she allegedly boarded a private airline flight.
