LAHORE: A notification claiming that the Punjab government approved Rs40 million for the makeup expenses of two women ministers is entirely false.
The document, circulating on social media, falsely claims that the Punjab government allocated Rs40 million to cover the personal makeup and presentation expenses of Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb and Information Minister Azma Bokhari. The notification supposedly bears the signature of Ahmad Iqbal, the section officer of Cabinet I in the Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD) of Punjab.
Ahmad Iqbal clarified that the notification is a fabrication. He confirmed to Geo Fact Check that it does not bear his signature and emphasized that Cabinet I is not authorized to approve such financial grants. According to him, Cabinet II is responsible for approving such grants, and there is a formal procedure in place for these approvals.
Further examination of the document reveals several inconsistencies, including the absence of a notification number, which is a standard feature in official communications. Additionally, the document does not adhere to the usual formatting and style conventions followed by the S&GAD.
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari also refuted the claim, labeling the notification as fake in a post on her X account.
AI-content detection and digital media forensics tool Attestiv also analyzed the document and gave it a Tamper Score of 88, indicating a high likelihood that the notification was generated using AI tools.
In conclusion, the notification circulating online regarding the alleged Rs40 million grant is a fabricated document and was never issued by the Punjab government.
