RAWALPINDI: A customs court reserved its verdict on three appeals filed by model Ayyan Ali in a currency smuggling case on Friday.
Judge Irshad Hussain Bhutta heard the case against Ayyan’s bail when the prosecutor requested the court to declare Ali as an absconder due to her “intentional” absence from court proceedings earlier.
The three appeals filed by Ayyan’s lawyer sought retraction of the arrest warrants, forgiving her for non-appearance and for having two trials in the same case.
“The accused has been missing hearings for the last two years,” he said.
Furthermore, the defence counsel countered and said, “Ayyan would appear for the hearing if the court de-notifies arrest warrants issued in her name.”
Following this, the counsels concluded their arguments in the three appeals filed by Ayyan’s lawyer as the court reserved its verdict announcing that the decision will be announced on January 23.
Earlier, the court had issued non-bailable arrest warrants against model Ayyan Ali in a money laundering case and announced that the trial shall resume on January 18 even if the accused does not show up in court.
The court had issued the arrest warrants after the continued absence of the model despite being summoned in the case several times.
Ayyan Ali’s lawyer informed the court that the model has been allowed to travel abroad due to ill-health and will return to the country in February. The court had further said that the warrants will not be revoked until Ayyan surrenders and said the accused failed to appear before the judge for three years.
On March 14, 2015, Ali was arrested at the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto International Airport while boarding a flight to the United Arab Emirates carrying $506,800 without the permission of the State Bank of Pakistan
A non-bailable arrest warrant was issued for Ayyan on October 22 and directed the concerned authorities to produce her before the court on November 10 with regards to the currency smuggling case. The court rejected her abstention request on medical grounds and said that the accused avoided 33 hearings in the last year and a half and medical certificate produced is also a lie.
