Daily Times

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday sought standard operating procedures (SOPs) of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for acquiring details from X, formerly known as Twitter, on a petition filed by Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari, seeking action against persons involved in sharing her edited pictures and video on social media.

The court also sought details of decided cases and pending inquiries with the FIA. The single bench comprising LHC Chief Justice Aalia Neelum heard the petition filed by the provincial minister. During the proceedings, the chief justice expressed dissatisfaction with a report presented by an assistant director of the FIA on the matter. The court questioned what the SOPs of the agency are and how the data was established in cybercrime cases.

Earlier, a law officer apprised the court that a joint investigation team had been constituted to investigate the case, with Assistant Director Cyber Crime Rana Shahnawaz Khan heading it, while three sub-inspectors were its members.

The minister sought action against those involved in sharing edited pictures and video of her on social media. She alleged that PTI activist Falak Javed Khan edited and disseminated the video online. She argued that the incident had defamed her on social media and violated her constitutional rights. She asked the court to direct the FIA to take action against the respondents and submit a compliance report. Talking to the media after attending the court proceedings, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari warned of dire consequences for those who dare to upload her fake video. She added, “I am the voice of all those women whose cases remain undecided for years. Maryam Nawaz has said that this case must be taken to its conclusion and the culprit must be brought to justice.”

Azma Bokhari expressed her satisfaction as a woman, saying, “Thanks to the Chief Justice, I received significant relief from the court today.” She mentioned that the Chief Justice has ordered details of all cases where women are blackmailed to be provided. “This is neither a political case nor a personal one; today, I seek justice for all women.”