Azma Bukhari’s plea: LHC grants opportunity to FIA for completing investigation

Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday gave the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) an opportunity to complete investigations by September 18 and submit a report regarding the fake pictures and videos of Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari circulating on social media.

LHC Chief Justice Aalia Neelum issued the orders while hearing a petition filed by Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari, seeking action against those involved in sharing fake pictures and videos of her on social media.

Deputy Attorney General Asad Ali Bajwa and FIA officials appeared before the court at the start of the proceedings.

The deputy attorney general submitted that teams had been constituted and arrest warrants for the accused had also been issued. He added that the bank accounts of the accused were being sealed, and raids were being conducted to arrest the accused.

However, Azma Bukhari’s counsel argued that the accused, Falak Javed, was present at a recent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf gathering and was hosting videos on X, formerly known as Twitter. He submitted that the FIA could arrest the accused from the gathering. The counsel expressed dissatisfaction with the FIA’s performance in response to a court query.

Subsequently, the court gave the agency an opportunity to complete the investigations and submit a report by September 18.

Later, speaking to the media, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari stated that this marked her sixth or seventh appearance and that her case had been repeatedly postponed. She emphasized that her case is not personal or political; it concerns all women affected by social media, while also criticizing the FIA’s performance.