ISLAMABAD: The Customs Appellate Tribunal has yet not scheduled the hearing of a petition filed by Ayyan Ali’s counsel, Sardar Latif Khosa, challenging the decision of a lower customs court regarding confiscation of $500,000 and imposition of fine.
Officials of Customs Appellate Tribunal stated that following directions by the chairman, Justice (r) Manzoor Hussain, the case was likely to be heard after Eidul Azha. The chairman had directed not to list new cases for hearing until the older ones are heard and decided.
Sardar Latif Khosa had filed the petition at Customs Appellate Tribunal, Islamabad, challenging the decision of a lower customs court regarding confiscation of $500,000, seized from Ayyan Ali, when she was allegedly trying to smuggle it out of Pakistan.
Ayyan was arrested from Benazir Bhutto International Airport with $500,000 in March this 2015. The Airport Security Force intercepted her and recovered the said amount from her luggage. She was released on bail after four months in Adiala Jail.
Through the petition, Ayyan’s counsel challenged the said decision announced by a Rawalpindi customs court. The court had indicted Ayyan for trying to smuggle $500,000 out of the Pakistan.
The amount was confiscated by customs authorities and later customs adjudication found her guilty of smuggling the said amount out of Pakistan.
The Customs Court maintained departmental decision on confiscation of the amount and also added fine of $500,000 (same amount seized while being smuggled) on Ayyan.
The customs tribunal had yet not decided the date to hear the case. Ayyan had filed the petition at the tribunal after appointment of new Chairman Manzoor Hussain.
It is pertinent to mention that Ayyan had pleaded not guilty to the charges of money laundering at the lower court and defended against the case in which she has been purposefully implicated.
Customs Court Judge Rana Aftab Ahmed heard the case and had recorded several eye witnesses in the case. It is worth mentioning that Custom Officer Chaudhry Ijaz, one of the key witnesses in the case, was murdered. Ijaz was shot in the leg when two armed motorcyclists opened fire at him in the remits of Waris Khan police station.
The apex courts had also rejected her acquittal pleas in the money laundering case. However, she was granted bail on securities to attend the lawful proceedings in the case.
