ISLAMABAD: Though the supermodel Ayyan Ali was released from Adiala jail last week, she cannot travel abroad.

On July 14, the Lahore High Court (LHC) granted bail to Ayyan exactly four months after her arrest on March 14 from Islamabad airport on charges of carrying over 500,000 dollars while traveling abroad.

She was booked under various offences related to currency smuggling as under the law a passenger could carry not more than 10,000 dollars.

Ayyan was asked to furnish two surety bonds of Rs500,000 each to the jail authorities for her release.

Besides confiscating the money, the customs’ official also seized her passport. At present, her passport is in the custody of special court of customs, excise and taxation.

Khurram Latif Khosa, the counsel for supermodel, while talking to Dawn said Ayyan, during the course of hearing, had given an undertaking that she would not leave the country if she was granted bail.

The model also informed the court that her prolonged detention had put her showbiz career at stake as she had signed a number of contracts with different advertisers, he said.

Mr Khosa, however, said Ayyan could file an application seeking court’s permission to visit abroad. “There are several instances when the court has allowed accused to travel abroad for specific reasons,” he said.

The trial courts or high courts on a number of occasions permitted under trial accused to visit foreign country for medical treatment, consultation with the medical specialists and other reasons, he said.

“If allowed to travel abroad, the supermodel would definitely come back as she could not afford to remain absent from her trial proceedings,” he said adding “the court could issue arrest warrants, declare her proclaimed offender or absconder if she skips her trial.”

Replying to question, advocate Khosa said Ayyan had not asked her legal team to file any application in this regard, though she has the right to seek permission for her foreign visit.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2015

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