Meera takes one step closer to wedding bells

Lollywood actor’s family has officially accepted Naveed Shehzad’s proposal.

After appearing on TV shows in the quest of finding a husband, Lollywood star Meera has finally decided to give in to her parents’ wishes.

Meera’s parents on Sunday accepted the proposal of a Pakistani-American airline captain, Naveed Shehzad, who is also the actor’s family friend. “They are family friends from America, they have accepted our demands, hence the engagement is on,” said Meera’s mother Shafqat Zohra Bukhari.

“Shehzad is a family friend and I will be getting engaged to him on my family’s insistence,” confirmed the actor as well. However, Shehzad told the media that he has liked Meera ever since he “set his eyes” on her in 2009 at his sister’s wedding in New York. The pilot also says he prefers to call Meera by her real name, Rubab. Shehzad also dismissed rumours that he had divorced his alleged first wife to marry Meera. “Rumours of me having kids or being married are simply untrue.”

Meanwhile, he clarified that the ceremony at Meera’s house on Sunday was not the engagement but was just a ‘baat pakki’ and also added that the media would be informed about the ‘grand engagement ceremony’ which will take place soon and added that. “God willing, the marriage will be held by the end of this year.”

Earlier on Sunday evening, Shehzad and his family visited Meera’s house. Only close relatives from both sides of the family were present. Fellow actor Laila was the only celebrity who attended the small affair. “I’m here to support my friend and I wish her the best of luck in her marriage,” the actor told reporters outside Meera’s house.

Meera had recently announced her retirement from the Pakistan film industry in an interview, and said that she wants to work on a new image of herself by working with productions outside the Lollywood circle.

Hurdles along the way

Meanwhile, Atiqur Rehman, who earlier claimed to be Meera’s husband, said that the Lollywood actor cannot marry unless the court decides the matter. After hearing her engagement news, Rehman said that the court’s decision was still pending and Meera cannot wed Shehzad as she’s still married to him.

Rehman had filed an application in response to the suit from Meera wherein she accused Rehman of preparing a fake marriage certificate showing her as his wife only to grab her property.

The actor, however, said she had no relations with Rehman but he was blackmailing her by claiming to be her husband. She requested the civil court to cancel the nikahnama possessed by Rehman and initiate proceedings against him.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 21^st, 2012.