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LAHORE: Supermodel Ayyan Ali on Thursday filed an acquittal plea in Lahore High Court (LHC) a week after the special customs court hearing the money laundering case against her had rejected a similar petition.
The model's counsel, Sadar Latif Khosa, filed the acquittal plea in LHC on her behalf. The court admitted the plea and adjourned the hearing till Friday (tomorrow).
The special court of customs, excise and taxation in Rawalpindi had dismissed Ali's acquittal plea on November 6 and summoned the model for hearing today. The court had observed that there was sufficient evidence on the basis of which the supermodel can be tried by the court.
However Ayyan did not appear in the customs court today and requested exemption from appearance on medical grounds. The request for exemption was granted by the court.
On the other hand, her counsel filed an acquittal plea in the Lahore High Court.
Related: Ayyan's acquittal plea dismissed by customs court
Ayyan Ali was arrested on charges of money laundering earlier in March this year after being caught with over half a million dollars by customs officials at Islamabad's Benazir Bhutto International Airport.
The supermodel was granted bail in July after spending around four months in Rawalpindi's notorious Adiala Jail ─ and after her judicial remand was extended 16 times.
Sadar Latif Khosa had earlier said his client had been arrested on false charges of money laundering. He said the Customs Act lacked interpretation of attempted money laundering. He said the petitioner had not been allowed to record her statement after the arrest, which was mandatory under Section 139 of the act.
The counsel said the petitioner had told the investigators at a very initial stage that she had got the money by selling property. He said the petitioner had carried the money to the airport to hand it over to her brother who was arriving from Dubai the same day.
He further said that Ayyan is an honourable girl and that she was framed in this case under a 'conspiracy'.
Editorial : Bail for Ayyan Ali
