Ayyan Ali indicted in currency smuggling case

RAWALPINDI (Staff Report) - Supermodel Ayyan Ali has been indicted in currency smuggling case in Rawalpindi customs court, despite objections of her legal counsel former Punjab governor Latif Khosa.

The model dismissed the charges in a statement before the court of Rana Aftab.

The judge ordered prosecution to present its witnesses in next hearing on December 8.

Meanwhile Ayyan Ali's lawyer prayed to the court to issue an order for return of passport of his client. My client's profession is dependent on passport because she needs to travel abroad for shooting, he argued.

Earlier the trial court dismissed acquittal plea of Ayyan Ali in the case and ordered the prosecution team to present evidences and witnesses for formal hearing.

An appeal in Lahore High Court (LHC) has also been against the dismissal of her acquittal plea, which stated that custom authorities kept Ayyan in custody illegally for four months. However, she was not found guilty for any of the crime.

The court was requested in the appeal that Ayyan could not be indicted without any proof whereas trial court while ignoring the facts dismissed the plea therefore; Ayyan should be ordered to release under Article 265-K.

Ayyan Ali was detained at the Islamabad airport on March 14 as she waited in a VIP lounge before her Dubai flight. Pakistani law bars any passenger from carrying over $10,000 and investigators say they found $506,800 tucked into her luggage.

She has maintained the money was solely hers since her arrest.