CLAIM

Punjab government notification showing Rs40 million grant approved for makeup expenses of ministers

RATING JUSTIFICATION

The iVerify Pakistan team investigated this content and determined that it is false.

To reach this conclusion, iVerify Pakistan compared the viral document with official notifications and analysed the content using AI-detection tools.

Multiple users on social media platforms X and Facebook since January 19, 2026, were sharing an alleged Punjab government notification claiming that a special grant of Rs40 million was approved for makeup expenses of Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb and Information Minister Azma Bokhari. However, the notification is AI-generated.

HOW IT STARTED

The iVerify Pakistan team was alerted on Jan 21 about an X post and requested authentication for the content.

On Jan 19, a pro-PTI account on X shared a snapshot of a Punjab government notification with the following caption: “The Punjab government has released a grant of Rs40m for the makeup of Maryam Aurangzeb and Azmi Bukhari.”

The post gained 1,584 views.

On the very same day, another X account shared the same snapshot, questioning the authenticity of the notification.

That post received 773 views.

The same image was further shared on X as can be seen here, here, here, here and here.

It was also circulated on Facebook, as can be seen here, here, here, and here.

METHODOLOGY

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its high virality, to satisfy the public’s request seeking authentication for the claim and keen interest in the matter.

A reverse image search and keyword search were conducted to locate any official Punjab government notification corresponding to the viral document, but yielded no results.

Analysing the document using AI-detection tools to assess its authenticity showed that Hive Moderation flagged it as 98.7 per cent AI-generated or deepfake.

Undetectable.ai assessed the document as only 3pc likely to be real, while TruthScan flagged it as 97pc AI-generated.

Additionally, the viral notification was compared with authentic Government of Punjab notifications.

The Punjab Finance Department issues official grant and fund release notifications.

Such documents clearly mention the issuing department on the top right corner; however, the viral document does not name any department.

The official notification’s placement of the Government of Punjab logo on the left side contrasts with the viral snapshot, where the logo is in the top middle. Additionally, the official document lacks mention of the approving department for the funds.

Moreover, the notification contains textual errors and duplication. Aurangzeb’s name is written incorrectly and mentioned twice in the distribution section, reading: “Ms. Mariyum: Aurangzeb, Ms. Government of Punjab. 2 Ms Mariyum Senior Minister of Punjab”.

Contacted for comment via Dawn correspondent Rana Bilal, the official whose alleged signature the viral document bears, also confirmed that the notification was “fabricated”. He added that the document did not bear his signature.

FACT-CHECK STATUS: FALSE

The claim that the Punjab government issued a notification approving a Rs40m grant for the personal makeup and presentation expenses of provincial ministers is false.

No such notification was issued by the Punjab government, and the viral document shows clear signs of fabrication and AI-generated manipulation.

EVIDENCE AND REFERENCES

October 31, 2025, Government of Punjab, Finance Department official notification:

https://finance.punjab.gov.pk/system/files/240_20260101141732.pdf