Tarar Condemns Fake AI Video Targeting Journalist Benazir Shah

Federal Information Minister Atta Tarar has taken notice of a fake AI-generated video targeting journalist Benazir Shah, calling the act “totally unacceptable and highly condemnable.”

Responding to Shah’s post on X, Tarar said no one had the right to create or circulate fabricated content or attempt to intimidate members of the press through defamation.

The matter surfaced when Shah revealed that an X account — one followed by Tarar — had created and uploaded the AI-generated video. “But as we’ve said before, we’ll say it again, attacks won’t silence us,” she wrote.

In reply, the federal information minister clarified that although he follows more than 1,900 accounts on the platform, he did not endorse the behaviour of the account involved. He assured that appropriate action would be taken against those responsible.

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Shah later appreciated Tarar for taking the matter “seriously.” However, she said she would not pursue a case under the Prevention of Electronic Crime Act (Peca) through the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), arguing that both the law and the institution had been used to “harass journalists, silence private citizens, and suppress dissent.”

“If the minister and his government are serious about ensuring safety for journalists and citizens, they should scrap Peca and the NCCIA and begin a genuine consultation process to draft legislation that truly addresses journalists’ concerns,” she added.