The Islamabad High Court (IHC) earlier today rejected a Customs plea against the decision of the Special Judge Customs Rawalpindi in connection with passport `Supurdari’ case of model Ayyan Ali.
A single-member bench of Justice Athar Minnallah rejected the plea after hearing the arguments placed by Sardar Latif Khosa, counsel for Ayyan Ali, on the basis of having no jurisdiction.
During the course of proceedings, Khosa apprised the court that the decision of the Special Judge Customs could only be challenged in the Special Appellate Court and the Lahore High Court (LHC) had the jurisdiction to hear the matter.
The federal government had also pleaded to reject the appeal, he added.
After hearing the arguments, the court rejected the appeal and directed the petitioner to file the plea before the appellate
courts concerned.
Earlier, Customs’ counsel Farhat Abbas Lodhi argued that the passport was a key evidence in the case pertaining to laundering of $ 506,800. The accused might leave the country to escape from judicial proceedings once she was handed over the passport and it would be impossible to bring her back if she fled abroad, he added.
He requested the court to suspend the decision of Rawalpindi Customs court, which he alleged, was passed without lawful authority as it had not jurisdiction to hear the case.
The accused’s name had already been put on Exit Control List (ECL) by the government so there was no need to return the passport to her, Lodhi argued.
The case was filed by Additional Collector Modal Customs Collectorate Islamabad Abdul Wahid Murrawat on behalf of the department.
It may be mentioned that the model was arrested from Benazir International Airport Islamabad with $ 506,800 in March last year. (APP)
