Rawalpindi - A banking court on Friday gave Ayyan Ali, a model facing money smuggling case, the copies of statements of prosecution witnesses.
The court snubbed the investigators of Pakistan Customs over delay in completion of charge-sheet against the accused and ordered them to submit it before the court. The court adjourned the hearing in the money smuggling case till May 18, 2015.
Meanwhile, the Customs investigation team filed a petition, seeking registration of a fresh case against Ayyan in the customs court.
Earlier, a team of Pakistan Customs investigators and Punjab Prisons produced famous singer, actress and model Ayyan Ali amid tight security before Banking Court Judge Sabir Sultan.
Arguing before the court, Sardar Ishaq, lawyer of Ayyan, said that the investigators of Customs have been using delaying tactics in completing the charge-sheet against his client which are causing troubles for her. He said that despite court’s orders, the Customs investigators have not produced the copies of statements of witnesses to Ayyan.
“The investigators are presenting baseless and lame excuses before the court on every date of hearing. Sometimes they say two cell phones of Ayyan are yet to be decoded; while sometimes they say they have written letters to the governments of others countries,” Sardar Ishaq told the court. He said, “Ayyan Ali is languishing in jail and it is the duty of investigators to decode mobile phones with Ayyan’s help.”
On this, the court expressed his deep anger over Pakistan Customs investigators and ordered them to provide Ayyan with copies of statements of prosecution witnesses. On this the investigators handed over copies of witnesses’ statements to the accused.
Khuram Latif Khosa, another lawyer of Ayyan, also appeared before the court and said that the model was the face and cultural ambassador of Pakistan and being a female she deserved sympathy. The judge on this remarked that he was the duty judge and could only help the accused by ordering Pakistan Customs investigators complete challan earlier and present it before court.
The court deferred the hearing till May 18.
Earlier, Ayyan was presented before the court amid tight security. A large number of her fans including lawyers, litigants and other people gathered in the court premises to have a glimpse of the model even before her arrival. Wearing black jeans and shirt with full facial make-up, Ayyan stepped down from prison van and was escorted to courtroom. Everybody present in the court premises was trying to talk to Ayyan but she did not respond to anyone.
Sardar Ishaq, while talking to The Nation, said that Ayyan is worried as she is kept in C-class jail along with female prisoners involved in crimes of heinous nature such as kidnapping for ransom, murder, narcotics smuggling and immoral activities. “My client is much tense in jail. She says it was difficult for her to stay with such kind of prisoners in the cell,” Sardar Ishaq added.