KARACHI: The Sindh High Court ( SHC ) on Thursday adjourned the hearing of a constitutional petition filed by super model Ayyan Ali, challenging the third memorandum issued by the Interior Ministry that included her name in the Exit Control List (EC) for the third time. The case was fixed before a two-member bench, headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi. However, the court adjourned the hearing due to the boycott of lawyers against alleged kidnapping of Owais Ali Shah advocate, son of Chief Justice Sindh High Court (SHC) Justice Sajjad Ali Shah.
The SHC already had issued notices to the Interior Ministry, DG Immigration, deputy attorney general and others on an contempt application filed by super model Ayyan Ali yet again, requesting the court to initiate contempt of court proceedings against the ministry for not removing her name from the ECL despite the court order.
According to the petitioner, she was barred from leaving the country on June 15 by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). The agency had stopped her when she was about to fly for Dubai after her name was removed from the ECL on the SHC’s directions.
Earlier, the SHC had directed the Interior Ministry to strike Ayyan’s name off the list that restrains her from going out of the country.
Interior Secretary Arif Ahmed Khan had informed the court that that the government, while complying with its directives, has removed Ayyan’s name from the ECL.
The model got surprised when she reached Karachi airport to travel abroad but came to know that her name was re-inserted in the list. She kept the SHC’s order in hand and was showing to counter but to no avail. Ayyan requested the court to initiate the contempt of court’s proceedings against them. Earlier, she had also filed the contempt plea against the federal government but it was disposed of after the government assured the court that its directives will be complied with.
The petitioner stated that Interior Ministry issued third memorandum on June 15, 2016 and included her name in the ECL again for the third time, adding that the act is the violation of SHC’s order.
Citing secretary Interior Ministry, Incharge Karachi airport. Additional secretary of ECL, director FIA Sindh, DG FIA headquarters Islamabad, Collector of Customs Adjudication, chairman FBR, DG Passport and Immigration and Additional Director FIA as respondents, she pleaded the court to declare that act of the respondents as illegal, malafide and unjustified. The court was further requested to set aside the impugned third memorandum.
