Pakistani supermodel freed from jail after being caught with US$500,000 in cash at airport
PUBLISHED : Friday, 17 July, 2015, 9:55am
UPDATED : Friday, 17 July, 2015, 9:55am
Associated Press in Islamabad
Pakistani model Ayaan Ali was arrested in the VIP lounge of Islamabad’s airport in March. Photo: SCMP Pictures
A top Pakistani model Ayaan Ali was freed from a high-security jail near the capital on Thursday, four months after she was caught trying to fly to Dubai with half a million dollars in cash stashed in her luggage, a defence lawyer said.
Ali, 21, has been in the government custody since March when authorities nabbed her at the VIP lounge of Islamabad’s airport.
Under Pakistani laws, no one can carry more than US$10,000 on a flight, but authorities found US$506,800 tucked into her luggage at the time.
On Thursday, Ali’s lawyer, Latif Khosa, said his client was freed from the Adyala Jail in Rawalpindi, a city near Islamabad.
“Yes, I can confirm that Ayaan Ali has been freed under an order from the Lahore High Court,” Khosa said.
He said the court granted bail to Ali on Tuesday but the model was released on Thursday after her paperwork was completed.
Pakistan's top model Ayaan Ali has been freed after four months in jail. Photo: AP
Ali has been the focus of intense Pakistani media attention since authorities caught her on March 14.
Ali mostly remained tight-lipped during court hearings but her lawyer insisted that she didn’t want to take money outside Pakistan.
Khosa said Ali would attend any future court hearings, if she was summoned by the judge.
