Azma Bokhari Escapes Car Accident, Speaks Out Against Deepfake Harassment

Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari narrowly avoided injury in a car accident at Lahore’s Jail Road Underpass. Bokhari was en route to an event at Punjab University when the collision occurred.

The accident, triggered when a car abruptly stopped, caused a rickshaw to crash into three other vehicles, including the car of Provincial Minister for Minority Affairs Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, which sustained significant damage. Bokhari escaped unhurt and continued her journey in an alternative vehicle.

Bokhari Addresses Deepfake Harassment

In a separate development, Bokhari has spoken out about the growing misuse of deepfake videos to malign women in Pakistan, sharing her personal ordeal of being targeted by an objectionable fake video.

Speaking in an interview with AFP, Bokhari described the emotional toll the incident took on her. “I was shattered when it came into my knowledge,” she said, recalling how her daughter encouraged her to fight back.

Bokhari emphasized the need to modernize the judiciary and law enforcement to tackle deepfake technology, which she claims is increasingly used to discredit female leaders. “When I go to the court, I have to remind people again and again that I have a fake video,” she said, urging greater awareness and robust mechanisms to combat the misuse of such technology.

As one of Pakistan’s prominent female politicians, Bokhari called for systemic reforms to protect women from the harmful effects of digital harassment and ensure accountability in cases involving deepfake technology.