ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court gave two weeks to Sindh High Court to decide about the federation’s petition to place Ayyan Ali’s name on the Exit Control List.

A three-member bench, headed by Justice Azmat Saeed Sheikh, Thursday heard the federation’s appeal against SHC verdict, Ayyan Ali’s contempt petition against interior secretary and FIA officials and Customs officer’s widow petition.

The apex court asked the SHC not to pass order on the contempt petition of Ayyan Ali against the federation for placing her name on ECL. The bench also issued notices to Prosecutor General, Punjab, and investigative officer of Warris Khan Police Station, Rawalpindi regarding murder of Ejaz Mehmood, a Customs officer. The deceased widow had filed petition in the Supreme Court to direct the authorities not to remove Ayyan’s name from ECL.

Ayyan Ali was arrested by customs officials from Benazir Bhutto International Airport, Islamabad on March 14, 2015 and recovered $506,800 from her luggage. She was later indicted in the money laundering and her involvement in the murder of Customs officer Ejaz Mehmood.

Sindh High Court on March 7 had directed the secretary Ministry of Interior to immediately remove supermodel’s name from the ECL and submit a compliance report within 14 days. The Collectorate Customs challenged that order in the apex court and later interior ministry also impleaded the party.

The bench of apex court headed by Justice Ejaz Afzal on April 13 upheld the SHC verdict but also said: “We don’t feel inclined to recall and rescind the relief granted to the respondent [Ayyan] by the High Court …we [also] don’t see any tenable ground for prohibiting the movement of respondent (Ayyan), all the same we would not approve of bypassing a forum provided by law.”

The Ministry of Interior in view of the top court judgment removed Ayyan’s name from ECL on 18th April. Later, when the model reached Karachi airport to fly to Dubai, the FIA and Customs officials blocked her entry into the departure lounge.

The supermodel, therefore, filed a petition in Supreme Court praying for initiating contempt of court proceeding against Arif Ahmed Khan, Secretary Ministry of Interior, Additional Secretary (ECL) Ministry of Interior Muhammad Asghar Chaudhry and Shahid Hayat, Additional Director FIA, Jinnah International Airport, Karachi.

However, the top court on April 25 dismissed the model’s contempt petition and directed her to approach the Sindh High Court for taking action against the federal government for defying its order.

The SHC on 2nd June set aside the Interior Ministry’s second order of placing the name of Ayyan on ECL and on June 15 decided to initiate contempt proceeding against the interior secretary.

During the proceeding, Rana Waqar Additional Advocate General contended whether the high court could pass order that the authority will take prior approval from court for placing Ayyan’s name on ECL. Latif Khosa, counsel of the model, said everyone facilitated General (retd) Pervez Musharraf for travelling abroad despite the serious offences against him pending, while his client was obstructed and deception and fraud was placed upon her.

The court after hearing the arguments adjourned the case and ordered the SC office to fix it immediately after the court’s summer vacation.