LAHORE:Punjab Minister for Information and Culture Azma Bokhari appeared before the District Courts to record her statement in the fake video case. She recorded her statement before the court as a witness.
She told the court that she was not an accused but the complainant and that she had been wronged. She said the matter was not merely an ordinary civil case but concerned the honour and dignity of a woman.
The minister said that a fake video of her had been created and circulated on social media, causing her severe mental anguish and distress.Azma Bokhari stated that during the night between July 24 and 25, 2024, she was browsing social media at her home when she came across videos on Facebook and TikTok carrying captions claiming that one of her videos had been leaked.
She said that she later checked her Twitter account, where she also came across a tweet posted by the present accused, Falak Javed. Following this, the fake video went viral on social media.
According to Azma Bokhari, the following day she went to the Lahore High Court and reached the Chief Justice’s court, where she had to wait for approximately four hours outside the courtroom. After her petition was accepted, directions were issued for proceedings. Azma Bokhari said, “If this is happening to a minister, then what must be happening to ordinary people?”
During the hearing, the issue of a YouTuber’s tweet regarding the issuance of arrest warrants for Azma Bokhari also came up. Azma Bokhari asked the court to clarify when the warrants had been issued. The concerned YouTuber also apologised to Azma Bokhari in the courtroom. During the proceedings, a heated exchange also took place between Azma Bokhari and Mian Ali Ashfaq, counsel for Falak Javed. Azma Bokhari told the lawyer, ‘Do not act like a dictator. Lower your voice while speaking.’ The court conditionally allowed the relevant lawyers to enter the courtroom at the next hearing and also directed that YouTubers would not be allowed inside the courtroom during future proceedings.The court directed the jail authorities to produce Falak Javed before the court within 20 minutes. The court fixed September 12 for cross-examination on Azma Bokhari’s statement.
