Irtiza Rubab
Irtiza Rubab is a 40-year-old Pakistani actress who is known by her stage name Meera.
The woman has spent the past seven years entangled in a court case over whether or not she is married.
Meera is best known for her commercially successful and critically
acclaimed Pakistani films, as well as making forays into Bollywood. She
is also famed for her social media presence, mainly her videos and her
presentation style. Recently, however, she has been making headlines for
a different reason, a bizarre court battle against a man alleging to be
her husband.
Acording to Oddity Central, the actress’ troubles began in 2009
when Ateeq-ur-Rehman, a businessman from Faisalabad, told journalists
that he and Meera had married in a private ceremony, in 2007.
He filed several petitions against Meera, claiming that he was
unhappy she had not acknowledged him as her husband and continued to
tell her fans and the media that she was single. Rehman even showed the
press an alleged marriage certificate, claiming that it was definitive
proof of their union.
The businessman has gone so far as to file a petition demanding
Meera undergo a virginity test as further proof that she was actually
his wife. He asked the court to prevent the actress from marrying anyone
else without a legal divorce, and claimed possession over part of her
house.
Meera’s lawyer, Balakh Sher Khosa, recently spoke to the BBC about
the application filed by Rehman regarding the “virginity test” to prove
that Meera was lying about her marital status and virginity.
“This particular application was later dismissed by the Lahore
High Court. In Pakistan, such medical applications allow the virginity
tests of women in rape and adultery cases where the woman has to
establish that she has lost her virginity as a result of the committed
crime,” Khosa said. “But in cases similar to that of Meera,
calling someone their wife or husband, the virginity test can only be
allowed with the consent of the involved woman. Ateeq’s claim was
baseless – that’s why the court dismissed it.”
Meera vehemently denies all of Rehman’s claims and insists that she
is single. She also filed a countersuit against him in 2010 to
challenge the authenticity of the marriage certificate he produced. She
claims that Rehman, an acquaintance who worked on some of her concerts
and tours, is merely disturbed and hungry for fame.
“One day out of nowhere he presented some fake photographs
claiming that we are married… How can he be allowed to call me his
wife?” the actress told the BBC. She went on to argue that she would never have had such a low profile wedding in any case. “I am a celebrity, would I ever get married in a room so simply?”
Meera says that the allegations have hurt her reputation, and made it difficult for her to get married until the case resolves.
“I want to get married and have children; time is running out.
Indeed my work and mental well-being is affected by all this, but I
continue to work and travel, thankfully there are no restrictions on
that,” she said.
Meera’s lawyer accused Ateeq-ur-Rehman of using tactics to delay and prolong the court battle.
“Ateeq’s lawyer has been changed so many times that I have lost
count now. They hardly ever come to the court when the case is heard,”
Khosa said. “Of course there are some other minor hurdles also, like
transfer and absentia of a related judge. I am the third lawyer for
Meera, but the delay has never been from our side as Meera has already
recorded her statement back in 2011.”
Fortunately for Meera, the seven-year battle seems to have finally
reached its conclusion. Last week, Mr. Rehman’s application that Meera
be prevented from marrying anyone else without a divorce was dismissed
by a family court within the civil courts in Lahore. Although a win for
Meera, it did not bring the case to a close.
The presiding judge, Babar Nadeem, said that the court had not yet
concluded whether or not the marriage certificate was genuine. However,
under the Family Court Act 1964, Meera could not be prevented from
marrying anyone. Meera still considers this a victory, and said told the
BBC that “Justice has finally been served.”
Judge Nadeem has advised both counsels to conclude their arguments
as soon as possible and has said that a final court decision will be
given before 30 December 2017.
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