The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday accepted the plea of public prosecutor Farhat Nawaz Lodhi seeking more time to present substantial evidence against supermodel Ayyan Ali.
During the hearing, the public prosecutor informed the court that he wanted to present documented proof before it for which he needed time.
However, former Punjab governor and Ayyan’s counsel Sardar Latif Khosa accused the plaintiff of employing delaying tactics.
He contended that the prosecutor had on several occasions sought more time to present evidence.
Khosa also pleaded before the court for Ayyan’s release. He adopted the stance that even though the supermodel was present at the airport, a boarding card was not issued to her neither was she carrying luggage therefore she could not be considered a passenger and charges of currency smuggling could not be framed against her.
He further said that Ayyan is an honourable girl and that she was framed in this case under a ‘conspiracy’.
The hearing of the case was subsequently adjourned to July 29.
On Thursday, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) had fined Ayyan Rs 18.857 million for non-payment of income tax.
According to FBR officials, the FBR inland revenue department had found after conducting a detailed inquiry that the model had not paid a single rupee as tax money.
The regional tax office (RTO) of Karachi had also interrogated Ayyan about the source of half a million dollars which she was allegedly attempting to smuggle in her luggage at Benazir Bhutto International Airport.
The model had not managed to establish the source of income before the authorities, they said.
Ayyan Ali was arrested by customs officials on March 14 from Islamabad’s Benazir Bhutto International Airport after $508,000 were recovered from her possession.