LAHORE: A Lahore High Court division bench on Thursday issued a notice to the federal government and Customs authorities on a bail petition of fashion model Ayyan Ali facing charges of money laundering.

The bench comprising Justice Anwarul Haq and Justice Arshad Mahmood Tabassum held a brief hearing of the petition and issued notices to the respondents for next week.

Filed through Advocate Khurram Latif Khosa, the petition stated that the Customs officials arrested Ayyan Ali on fake charges of money laundering.

The counsel said his client was behind the bars for the last four months without any reason. He said under the Customs Act, if the suspect was a woman and if the investigation was completed she can be released on bail. The counsel stated that his client was a woman and investigation had been completed. Therefore, he asked the court to release her on bail.

The model was arrested on March 14 from Islamabad airport with a recovery of $508,000 from her luggage.

Cardiac Facility: The LHC directed the Punjab government to submit record of PC-I of Institute of Cardiology, Wazirabad, constructed during former chief minister Pervez Elahi’s tenure.

The court was hearing a petition filed by PTI Punjab lawyers’ wing through Advocate Gohar Nawaz Sindhu, questioning inordinate delay in making the hospital functional.

Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Ali Shahid appeared before the court and submitted that with the available funds, the hospital had started functioning with initially 50 beds. He said three doctors and 65 paramedics were also working at the hospital.

The MS said the facilities of ECG, Eco-Cardiology and ETT tests were also made available there, while the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU) and surgical floor would be established soon. He said the PC-I of these two components was in final stage.

The court directed a law officer to produce PC-I made at the time of construction of the hospital and adjourned hearing till July 28.

The petitioner had stated the institute building had been completed and for few months emergency services were also started but the government stopped it and was not releasing funds to the institute. He alleged the government made the hospital dysfunctional because it was constructed during Elahi’s tenure as CM.

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2015

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