Reema-Rafiq feud intensifies

The fight between Shahid Rafiq and film star Reema over Rs17.5 million continues.

LAHORE: As the dispute between Shahid Rafiq and Reema remains unsettled, Rafiq is planning to move matters to trial despite Film Distributors Association’s effort to resolve the issue amicably.

Legal advisor for Shahid Rafiq, Amjad Pervaiz told The Express Tribune that they were considering ‘several options’ including filing a civil or a criminal case against the actor. However, Film Distributors Association’s Chairman, Ijaz Kamran said that Rafiq didn’t show enough evidence to prove his claim of sharing investment in Reema’s next directorial project. “We decided to merit in favour of Reema. If Rafiq wants to move the court this is his legal right, ” he said.

Shahid Rafiq, a businessman, had filed an application with Film Distributors Association alleging Reema borrowed Rs17.5 million from him in 2008 and promised to return the money on the release of her film. The film’s name is not mentioned in the agreement which shows the signature of Reema and Rafiq along with two other witnesses. The witnesses, however, haven’t signed above their names. Rafiq claims that Reema’s sister wrote the agreement. He has also shown the cheque that he claims to have given to the film star.

Reema, on the other hand, has denied all charges and said she didn’t take any money from Rafiq. Kamran said that it was Rafiq who filed the application with the association, not Reema. He adds, “If Rafiq didn’t trust us then why did he file an application with us. We listened to both the parties and decided that Rafiq’s evidences were not authentic enough to prove his claims”.

Rafiq’s advisor, however, said that the association had not taken a fair decision, adding that it was not authorised to give any such verdict. “We went to the association office on Saturday and I served a legal notice to Ijaz Kamran as well. He did not even listen to us and hence, does not have any authority to give rulings. We did not go to him, he asked us to give an application to the association to solve the feud amicably,” he said.

Reema’s representative said that the entire episode was fabricated and that the letter shows Reema’s signature which is different from the signature on the contract. “Reema is currently in USA. Her representative came to us several times. If Rafiq wants to move to court he can but I don’t think he is going to get a different verdict from the court, ” Kamran commented.

Rafiq’s advisor, however, cl aimed that they have enough evidence, adding that they were getting ‘offers’ to settle the matter outside the court.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 22^nd, 2010.