LAHORE: The Rawalpindi bench of Lahore High Court has reserved the ruling over supermodel Ayyan Ali’s petition seeking bail in $0.5 million smuggling case.
Justice Maqbool Bajwa held the hearing of the case while counsel for the defence, Sardar Ishaq Advocate maintained that the Customs authorities have completed their investigation into the matter and termed his client a mere tool in committing the crime. He said that when a woman charged with murder could get bail then his unmarried 22-year-old client must also be granted bail.
Counsel for the Customs Department, Farhat Nawaz Lodhi, said that jail is safe for Ali at this time as her father has also been shot earlier.
While talking to the media after the hearing, Nawaz Lodhi said that Ali’s two mobile phones have not been decoded yet. He said that she could not provide a reliable reason for possessing that much foreign currency. Lodhi said that Ali’s brother has provided the authorities few documents which would be analysed soon.
He said that to transport foreign currency is termed smuggling and it could cost Ali at least Rs500 million for trying to smuggle $0.5 million. “If convicted, the supermodel’s crime is so serious that she could be fined Rs500 million for smuggling out $0.5 million and may also get a jail term for 14 years,” he added.
