ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Friday suspended the July 20 warrants for the arrest of model Ayyan Ali issued by a magistrate court in Rawalpindi for her alleged involvement in the murder of a customs officer.

`Nothing terrible will happen if she stays out for a few more days, observed Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan while heading a two-judge bench that took up a hurriedly filed petition by the model.

Ayyan is facing allegations that she played a role and in fact was responsible for the murder of Inspector Customs Ejaz Mehmood in a petition moved by his widow, Saima Ejaz.

While taking up the petition of the widow on June 30, the Supreme Court had directed the prosecutor general of Punjab and the investigative ofhcer to appear in person before the court. The petition requested the court to keep the name of the model on the exit control list so that she could not leave the country.

The model was arrested on March 14, 2014, at Benazir Bhutto International Airport in Islamabad while trying to travel abroad with avalid visa, passport and air ticket, carrying foreign currency worth $506,800 without prior permission of the State Bank of Pakistan and without any lawful excuse why she was taking the money abroad.

Her counsel, Sardar Latif Khan Khosa, who moved the petition in the morning, requested the court to suspend the warrants of arrest procured by Manzar Abbasi, the Station House Officer (SHO) of the Waris Khan police station, Rawalpindi, during the course of murder probe. Otherwise, he feared, the police would arrest his client any time.

Not interested in suspending the arrest warrants, the court in the beginning issued notices to the respondents mentioned in the petition with an observation that it was not in haste and would pass an appropriate order after due deliberation of mind.

But the counsel argued that since the court would meet on Monday morning, there was every apprehension that the police might arrest his client in the interim period.

On the other hand, Additional Attorney General Mohammad Waqar Rana argued that if the court was really interested in suspending the warrants then he would accept the court notice right now and would make submissions opposing the suspension of the warrants.

But after getting consent from both sides, the court decided to postpone further proceedings for Tuesday and also withdrew the condition offurnishingpersonalbond of Rs100,000 by the model.

Mr Khosa deplored that he was not concerned about the liberty of Ayyan rather the way the court orders werebeing `annihilated` by the government pained him the most.

In her petition, the model named Interior Secretary Arif Ahmed Khan, the SHO and Judicial Magistrate Rawalpindi Gulfam Latif Butt as respondents.

The petition requested the court to quash the warrants of arrest or at least suspend them in the interest of justice till the final determination of the case.

Mr Khosa also also requested the court to restrain the federal and Punjab government from harassing the model in any manner whatsoever and taking any adverse step against Ayyan without seeking prior approval of the Supreme Court.

The petition contended that the respondents threatened topersecute the model and her life was in danger.

`Administrative tyranny of such magnitude has been let loose of which there is no parallel in the history of Pakistan,` the petition regretted.

Meanwhile, the widow in her petition had requested the Supreme Court to keep the model`s name on the ECL until a decision on the June 2, 2015 FIR No. 550/15, which was lodged at the Waris Khan police station under Sections 302 (premeditated murder) and 34 (common intention) against the killing of her husband.

The widow contended that Ejaz Mehmood was serving in the Customs Collectorate Islamabad and was posted as inspector at State Warehouse, Benazir Bhutto Airport.

On March 14, 2015, customs officials recovered $506,800 from the suitcase of Ayyan when she was leaving the country, upon which the FIR No. 10/2015 was registered.