Time to rein in the ‘unbridled horse’ of social media

Social media has become a ruthless and unbridled horse that now needs to be reined in. Several countries around the world are becoming increasingly sensitive about social media. Strict laws concerning social media are being introduced in many countries, particularly laws banning its use by underage children.

Social media was created for entertainment, but it has now become a means of character assassination, mocking others, trolling and humiliating people. Concerns about social media are not limited to the people of Pakistan; prominent figures in several countries around the world have also expressed their concerns over the misuse of social media.

Artificial intelligence, while being a unique and state-of-the-art invention of the modern era, is also sometimes becoming a means of playing with people’s psychology. Several prominent personalities around the world have been affected by edited videos and pictures.

Targeting women personally is considered an easy target anyway, because very few women respond to propaganda and trolling against them or choose to pursue legal action. If a woman dares to take legal action against trolling directed at her, several obstacles are also placed in her way.

The biggest example of this is the fake video case of Pakistan’s prominent and senior politician Azma Bokhari. An edited fake video of her was circulated on social media. Azma Bokhari has been going from one court to another for one- and-a-half year and has had to convince the courts that her video was fake and that those who circulated the fake video should be held accountable. So far, only one accused, Falak Javed, has been arrested, while others are still at large.

The hearing of Azma Bokhari’s fake video case was held on Wednesday in the court of Judge Naeem Wattoo at the Lahore District Courts. Azma Bokhari herself went to the court and had her statement recorded.

In her statement, Azma Bokhari said, “I am a married woman and I also have a daughter. I have to get her married one day. I am not an accused in this case but the complainant. Yet I am still being treated unjustly.

“For one year, I kept going to the Lahore High Court and tried to convince the higher court that my fake video had been created and circulated on social media. I had not refused to appear before this court, but I wanted my statement to be recorded through video link because there were security concerns over appearing in court, and there could have been an unpleasant confrontation with members of the accused party.”

Azma Bokhari’s fake video case has now been pending before a local court in Lahore for the past six months. The next hearing of the case will be held on September 12 when the lawyer of the accused will cross-examine Azma Bokhari on her statement.

This is the first case of its kind involving a fake video in Pakistan to be heard in the courts. There are many such cases in which women do not pursue legal action to protect their honour and because of pressure from social media. If Azma Bokhari, despite being a minister, has still not been able to get justice, then how can an ordinary woman go to this level and prove her innocence in the courts?

The biggest reason for this is that there are no laws in Pakistan concerning social media. Social media apps do not have proper offices in Pakistan, nor do we have any agreements with these social media apps through which action can be taken to stop trolling against a woman on any social media app.

Now is the time for us to seriously rein in this horse of social media so that our young generation and women can be protected from its misuse, and there is a need to take strict action against those who misuse social media in the name of freedom of expression.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026