Meera appeals to UK for visa to meet cancer-patient sister

LONDON: Famous Pakistani actor Meera has appealed to Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK Jane Marriott to consider her visa application to the United Kingdom “on merit” so she can visit her sister who is getting treatment for cancer in London.

Meera applied for the UK visa this week. In January this year, Geo News had revealed that Meera’s entry to the United Kingdom was banned for 10 years by the UK immigration authorities. The ban is now over.

“I request the UK authorities to look at my case on merit. I couldn’t get visa for the UK due to a miscommunication. My home is in London and my family lives there. My sister is a cancer patient. I must visit London. Please issue me visa on merit,” said Meera, whose real name is Syeda Irtiza Rubab — globally recognised for her work in Lollywood, starring in commercially successful films and excelling in modelling.

Papers show the UK authorities refused entry to Meera over 10 years ago and subjected her to "restriction of movements" — which the family has blamed on confusion out of an English language interview where Meera couldn’t understand questions of the interviewing officer and vice versa.

This January, Shafqat Zahra Bukhari, Meera’s mother, had made a heartfelt appeal to the UK High Commission in Pakistan to grant Meera a visa so she can travel to the UK to meet her family and work.

Meera’s suffering doesn’t end only at the 10-year ban. After the ban ended in the recent past, to her bad luck, Meera’s travel agent applied again for a visit visa for the star but entered false information into Meera’s application for entry to the UK as a visitor.

Papers show that the application was refused too due to “false representation” of facts. Meera confirmed to Geo News she will be applying again for the visa soon in a proper manner.

Meera’s younger sister lives in Germany, the youngest sister is a qualified solicitor and lives in London and Meera’s mother lives mostly in London at the house the family bought with Meera’s money several years ago. Everything went wrong when Meera was subjected to a 10-year entry ban, although she is a Green Card holder and visits the USA regularly but not the UK.

Speaking to Geo News, Meera’s mother said: “The entry ban is finished. Meera should be allowed to enter the UK. There are several film projects she plans to do in the UK. These projects are on hold because Meera has a central role and these can only be completed when Meera is in the UK.”