LAHORE: A judicial magistrate at cantonment courts on Monday barred the media from covering proceedings of a private complaint filed by a local businessman who claims to be the husband of actress Meera.

Magistrate Mudassar Farid Khokhar ordered reporters to leave the courtroom and asked them to perform their duties outside. He said the proceedings were not in-camera, but the media had no right to cover it.

Later, Advocate Balgh Sher Khosa told the court his client Meera was in Karachi and could not come to Lahore due to rescheduling of flights. He requested the court to exempt Meera from personal appearance for once.

The magistrate accepted the request with a direction to Meera to ensure her presence on the next hearing.

Filing an application on behalf of Meera, Advocate Khosa challenged the proceedings on the private complaint of Attiqur Rehman. He said the matter was civil and criminal proceedings could not be held on it. He sought a reply from petitioner Rehman on Meera`s application.

The magistrate also initiated a process for declaring Captain Naveed, an alleged husband of the actress, absconder for his constantnonappearancein the case. Further hearing will be held in Jan 23.

In his complaint, Rehman alleged Meera committed a crime by contracting marriage with Naveed as she was still his (petitioner`s) wife. He saidMeera wed Naveed without dissolution of her previous marriage. He further accused Meera of occupying his house in DHA. He sought court`s direction for police to take action against the actress followed by registration of a criminal case.

AYYAN`S CASE: A customs appellate tribunal of the Lahore High Court on Monday allowed counsel for model Ayyan Ali to convert appeal into criminal revision filed against the indictment of the model in currency smuggling case.

Advocate Khurram Latif Khosa appeared on behalf of the model and said the trial court framed charges on Ayyan in haste without deciding a pending application against the prosecution.

He said the defence was not provided necessary documents before the indictment, which amounted to unfair treatment. He also alleged the prosecution submitted forged documents to the trial court for indictment of the petitioner.

The tribunal comprising Justice Abdul Sami Khan asked the counsel to file a revision petition on the matter instead of an appeal.

At this, the counsel sought the court`s permission to amend the appeal, which was duly granted.

Customs officials had arrested Ayyan on March 14 from Benazir Bhutto International Airport, Islamabad, after $508,000 were recovered from her luggage. She was later released on bail by the high court. An appeal of the model for acquittal in the case is yet to be heard by the high court.