The Sindh High Court on Wednesday sought comments from the ministry of interior on contempt plea filed by model Ayyan Ali against the government for not removing her name from the Exit Control List (ECL) despite the court’s order.
The petitioner submitted that her name was not removed yet from the ECL despite the court’s earlier directions. This act of the interior ministry was the contempt of the court; therefore, contempt proceedings should be initiated against them, she prayed.
The SHC took up the petition and issued notice to the interior ministry directing their lawyers to file comments in the next hearing.
Earlier in March 2016, the SHC had directed the authorities concerned to strike her name off ECL, however, it suspended the operation of its own order on the request of attorney general as the government wanted to challenge the decision in Supreme Court. But on 13th of April, the apex court upheld the decision of SHC which removed her name from the ECL.
After the SC’s verdict, Ayyan had got her seat reserved to go abroad for her professional assignments but she was stopped from leaving the country at Jinnah International Airport on 20th of April. Ayyan was told that her name still existed in the ECL.
Being aggrieved, the super model approached the apex court seeking contempt of court proceedings against the responsible for not removing her name from the ECL, but the top court told her to move the SHC being it the proper forum.
Ayyan was arrested from Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Airport, Islamabad. She was allegedly trying to smuggle half million US dollars. The passport of Ayyan and $5,00,000 were also confiscated by the custom authorities.