KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday stayed its earlier order for ten days that directed authorities to remove model Ayyan Ali’s name from the Exit Control List (ECL). The order was given following Federal Government’s request for the stay as it wanted to appeal against the SHC verdict.
Earlier Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto issued a short order on an application filed by the model regarding removal of her name from ECL.
Justice Phulpoto was appointed as a referee judge by SHC Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah last month to decide Ayyan’s petition after one of the judges on a division bench approved the model’s plea, while the other rejected it.
Earlier, the interior ministry on a court direction had removed her name from the ECL, but her name was again included in the list after a few hours.
The model later filed a contempt of court application against the federal government for not allowing her to travel abroad despite the court had directed the authorities to strike her name off the ECL.
The model had approached the court initially in December 2015 requesting the removal of her name from the ECL. Her counsel maintained that having her name on the ECL was illegal as authorities had returned her passport.
During a hearing of her case last year, the model said she was required to travel abroad for professional assignments and medical treatment, and since she had been released from jail on bail, her name should be struck off the ECL.
The model was arrested on March 14, 2015, on charges of money laundering after customs officials recovered $506,000 from her luggage at Islamabad’s Benazir Bhutto International Airport before she could reportedly board a flight to Dubai.
