Ayyan Ali challenges non-bailable arrest warrants

RAWALPINDI: Supermodel Ayyan Ali on Saturday challenged non-bailable arrest warrants issued for her by the Customs Court last month, in currency smuggling case, ARY News reported.

The model’s new counsels argued that the warrants were issued despite her requesting for sick leave and submitting medical certification.

“Due to my health issues plus my mental health therapies I wasn’t able to lead my cases the way I wanted to before,” she has said in a tweet earlier.

However, her counsel has assured that she would appear before the court by December 8. Following which the court has scheduled her case for hearing and issued notices to customs team in this regard.

Read More: Model Ayyan’s name also surfaces in fake bank accounts case

This should be noted that Iftikhar Bajwa and Sarfaraz Metlo have replaced Latif Khosa as her lawyer for the case.

A special customs court in Rawalpindi had issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Ayyan Ali on October 6.

The money laundering accused has been absconding from trial of the case after going abroad under different pretenses.

In fresh orders, the court directed the custom officials to arrest the accused and present her in court by October 22. Customs prosecutor Amin Feroz noted that Ayyan Ali had not turned up in court since December 8, 2015.

Ayyan Ali has been in the media limelight since March 2015 when authorities, acting on a tip-off, arrested her at the VIP lounge of Benazir Bhutto International Airport in Islamabad on money laundering charges before she could board a flight to Dubai.

It is worth mentioning here that under Pakistani laws, a citizen is barred to carry over $10,000 on a flight. However, the authorities had found $506,800 tucked in her luggage.