KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday could not take up the hearing of contempt application filed by model Ayan Ali against the Ministry of Interior for not removing her name from the Exit Control List (ECL) despite the court’s order. The hearing was not taken up due to non-availability of Justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh.
The case was fixed before a two-member bench, headed by Justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh, but the case was discharged as Justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh was on leave.
In the last hearing, Additional Attorney General Salman Talibuddin had submitted that order of the Supreme Court has not been received, therefore he had requested for some time to submit para wise comments. However, the counsel for the petitioner had argued that placing his client’s name in the ECL is illegal. He had argued that contempt proceedings should be initiated against the authorities for not striking Ayyan’s name off the ECL despite the court’s order.
Earlier in March 2016, the SHC directed authorities concerned to remove her name from ECL. However, it suspended the operation on the order on the request of attorney general as the government wanted to challenge the decision in the Supreme Court.
Ayyan did not have to wait too long as on April 13, the apex court upheld the decision of the SHC to remove her name from the ECL. After the Supreme Court verdict, Ayyan had booked the ticket to go abroad for her professional assignments but she was stopped from leaving the country at Jinnah International Airport on April 20. Ayyan was told that her name still existed in the ECL.
The model approached the apex court, seeking contempt of court’s proceeding against the responsible for not removing her name from the ECL, but the top court told her to move the SHC regarding the issue.
