Pakistani Celebrities Demand Action Over AI Deepfake Abuse - Evrim Ağacı

A wave of outrage follows AI-generated videos depicting violence against female celebrities, sparking calls for legal reform and accountability in Pakistan.

In recent days, Pakistan's entertainment industry and online community have been rocked by a controversy that has reignited urgent debates digital abuse, artificial intelligence, and the protection of women in the public eye. The spark? A series of AI-generated deepfake videos posted to Instagram, depicting violent and degrading scenarios involving manipulated likenesses of well-known Pakistani and international celebrities.

The issue erupted on September 11, 2026, when digital creator Muhammad Ahsan publicly criticized an Instagram account, identified only as M*, for sharing disturbing AI-generated content. According to reports reviewed by Images and Minute Mirror , the account featured videos in which M’s deepfake appeared to kick, hit, and otherwise assault deepfakes of both male and female celebrities. Among the most disturbing clips was one showing a manipulated version of Ahsan himself assaulting a deepfake of actor Hania Aamir. The account also included videos of M’s deepfake dancing with and embracing the digital likenesses of various celebrities.

"This isn’t the only such clip," Ahsan said in his reel, highlighting that there were many other videos on the account showing M’s deepfake behaving inappropriately and degrading other actors, influencers, and content creators. He didn’t mince words the potential danger: female celebrities, he argued, were at risk because of people like M and those who support or condone such behavior. Ahsan called on his followers and the wider public to report this kind of content wherever it appeared, urging collective action to stem the tide of digital abuse.

The response from the entertainment industry was swift and unequivocal. Prominent Pakistani celebrities, including Mahira Khan, Kinza Hashmi, Tamkenat Mansoor, and Zara Tareen, voiced their outrage and demanded immediate intervention by authorities. Mahira Khan, one of the country’s most respected actors, condemned the mindset that normalizes violence against women in the digital sphere. "Nobody should be surprised at the prevalence of violence against women in Pakistan if this was the mindset people had when it came to female celebrities," she stated, according to Images . Her words struck a chord, reflecting a broader concern that attitudes toward female celebrities often mirror societal problems at large.

Kinza Hashmi took a direct approach, tagging officials from Punjab, Sindh, and Islamabad on social media to bring the issue to their attention and press for action. Her message was clear: the authorities could no longer ignore the growing threat posed by AI-generated abuse. Actor Tamkenat Mansoor echoed these calls, arguing that making such content should be illegal if it isn’t already and that these videos were symptomatic of a society where men think it is acceptable to abuse ‘popular’ women. "The section proves that so many of these men are just an opportunity away from violating a woman," Mansoor remarked, highlighting the disturbing nature of some online responses.

Zara Tareen, another actor, urged anyone who had seen M’s videos to help identify him, report him to the authorities, and file complaints with the police so that he could face the consequences of his actions. Her call to action underscored a growing sense of urgency among both celebrities and ordinary citizens alike.

But the outrage didn’t end with celebrities. The controversy quickly spilled into the wider online community. While some users initially praised the technical prowess behind the AI-generated content—calling it a "very good use of AI"—the tide of public opinion shifted rapidly. Within 24 hours of Ahsan’s criticism, the sections under the offending videos were flooded with anger, condemnation, and demands for accountability. The backlash was so intense that it reignited debates the adequacy of Pakistan’s legal framework for handling such cases.

Pakistan’s Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) currently contains no provisions written specifically for AI-generated content or deepfakes. However, as reported by both Images and Minute Mirror , courts and police have relied on existing sections—such as Section 20, which addresses online defamation, and Section 21, which covers modesty and non-consensual images—to prosecute deepfake cases involving public figures. The outcomes of such prosecutions can vary widely, depending on how individual cases are framed. Last year, for instance, Punjab police registered charges under PECA and the Pakistan Penal Code’s defamation provisions over AI-generated deepfake videos of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

The lack of dedicated legal provisions for AI-generated abuse has raised pressing questions whether current laws are sufficient to protect victims, especially women. As Tamkenat Mansoor and others pointed out, the creation and dissemination of abusive deepfakes is not just a technological issue—it is a reflection of deeper societal attitudes that condone or trivialize the violation of women’s rights and dignity.

Experts and rights advocates warn that the problem is not unique to Pakistan. According to UN Women, between 16% and 58% of women worldwide have experienced some form of digital abuse. Even more striking, the agency reports that 90% to 95% of deepfake videos circulating online are sexualized images of women. These figures highlight a global crisis: AI-generated abuse is proliferating at an alarming rate, with women bearing the brunt of the harm.

The incident has renewed calls for stronger laws, swifter enforcement, and greater accountability for those who create or AI-generated abusive content. Many in Pakistan’s creative community argue that social media companies and law enforcement agencies must do more to identify offenders and protect victims. The controversy has also prompted a broader conversation digital literacy, ethical AI, and the responsibilities of both creators and consumers in the age of synthetic media.

As of now, the creator of the Instagram account at the center of the controversy has not responded to requests for . But the message from Pakistan’s celebrities, rights advocates, and ordinary citizens is unmistakable: the era of digital impunity must end. From Mahira Khan’s condemnation of societal mindsets to Zara Tareen’s call for collective action, the chorus for change is growing louder by the day.

Whether this incident becomes a turning point for legal reform and cultural change in Pakistan remains to be seen. But for now, it has thrust the dangers of AI-generated abuse—and the urgent need for action—into the national spotlight, forcing a reckoning with a problem that is as much technology as it is humanity.

Mahira Khan, Kinza Hashmi and others denounce use of AI-generated deepfakes on social media — Images

Mahira Khan, Kinza Hashmi and other celebrities condemn AI-generated deepfakes — Minute Mirror