islamabad - Model girl Ayyan Ali has approached the Islamabad High Court against imposition of fine amounting $500,000 on her by the Customs Collector (adjudication).
She has cited Collector (adjudication) Collectorate of Customs Islamabad, superintendent investigation and prosecutor Model Custom Collectorate Islamabad, assistant collector investigation and prosecution, appellate tribunal customs sales tax and federal excise and state as respondents. It was March 3, 2016 when Collector (adjudication) had said in his order: “In view of the reasons explained in the preceding paras, I am led to conclude that the accused nominated in the show cause notice are undeniably involved in the smuggling of foreign currency from Pakistan to abroad.
The charges of foreign currency and violation of the provisions section 2(s) & 16 of customs act 1969 read with section 3(1) of import and export control act 1950 and section 8 of the foreign exchange regulation act, 1947 stand established. I therefore order, for outright confiscation of seized foreign currency notes valuing US$506800 along with suit case color brown and 9 number of used clothes. In terms of section 156(1), 8, 70, 157, of the customs act 1969 read with section 3(3) of the import and export control act and also imposed a penalty of one time of the value equivalent to the confiscated currency on lady Ms Ayyan”.
In her petition the model girl said that she was shocked to know through electronic and print media about the impugned ex-parte order passed by the collector (adjudication) without hearing from herself.
She adopted that the business of supermodel is spread in many countries and she was under contractual obligations to travel to Dubai but her name was placed on the exit control list (ECL). It said that after removal of her name from the no fly list when she was about to travel abroad but her name was again placed on the ECL.
The model said that she had the money from sale of a plot and she was intended to hand this over to her brother while she was unlawfully arrested and a false case formed against her by the custom authorities with malafide intentions. She was not taking the money out from the country rather she was supposed to hand it over to her brother.
She argued that while the matter related to the ‘currency smuggling’ is pending before the courts, the Customs collector imposed fine on her after ex-parte proceedings.
Therefore, Ayyan has prayed to the court to set aside the order imposing fine on her. The petition is yet to be fixed for hearing.
Court summons SHO for not recording statement of inspector’s widow
Our Staff Reporter from Pindi adds: A court yesterday issued notices to the Station House Officer (SHO) Police Station Waris Khan seeking his comments for not recording statement of the widow of Pakistan Customs Inspector Chaudhry Ijaz who was key witness in Ayyan Ali currency smuggling case. District and Session Judge Khalid Navid Dar issued notice to SHO PS Waris Khan seeking his reply today (Friday) in response to a writ petition filed by Saima Ijaz, widow of Customs Inspector.
In her petition, Saima Ijaz pleaded that her husband was shot dead one year ago but police had not recorded her statement in the murder case. She added that her husband was a key witness in Ayyan Ali currency smuggling case. While accepting the plea of the lady for hearing, DSJ Khalid Navid Dar summoned SHO PS Waris Khan with case record on May 13 (today) to submit his reply.
Pakistan Customs Inspector Chaudhry Ijaz, who was shot and injured by two unknown robbers during a dacoity attempt outside his house in the limits of Police Station Waris Khan on June 3, 2015, succumbed to his injuries at the Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH). A murder case was registered with PS Waris Khan. The deceased was In-charge State Warehouse, Air Freit Unit (AFU), PIA cargo at the Benazir Bhutto airport, who was said to have taken the money into official custody that was recovered from top model Ayyan Ali by the ASF and Customs on March 13, 2015 and later deposited it in the State Bank of Pakistan. Police were still clueless whether or not it was a planted murder.