The Punjab government has prepared the draft of the Punjab Performers’ Digital Identity and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Protection Act 2026, aiming to protect artists’ voices, faces, likenesses, and other digital identifiers from unauthorized use through AI.
Under the proposed law, a performer’s voice, facial image, and digital identity will be treated as protected intellectual property. Any unauthorized use of these identifiers through AI systems, including voice cloning, deepfakes, fake endorsements, political messages, or digital replicas, will be illegal.
The draft makes it mandatory for producers, studios, and other parties to obtain explicit, written, and specific consent from performers before creating or using any AI-generated performance. It also requires clear disclosure whenever AI is used in content production.
Violators could face strict penalties, including up to three years in prison and fines running into millions of rupees.
The proposed legislation also calls for the establishment of a Digital Rights Registry and a dedicated regulatory framework to protect performers in the long term. Separate compensation and formal agreements will be required for any AI-generated performance.
The bill also includes special protections for performers under the age of 18, while the digital identities of deceased artists will remain protected for 25 years after their death.
The development comes amid growing concerns in Pakistan’s entertainment industry over AI-related clauses in contracts. A delegation of artists recently held a Zoom meeting with the Pakistan Films City Authority (PFCA) and the Punjab government to discuss the proposed law and present the industry’s concerns.
The meeting was led by actor and filmmaker Shamoon Abbasi and attended by several prominent artists, including Faysal Quraishi, Faisal Rehman, Hira Tareen, Faiza Hassan, and other members of the artistic community.
The debate gained wider attention earlier this week after actor Hira Tareen revealed that she had come across clauses in a drama contract that would have granted a production house and television studios ownership of her digital likeness.
Tareen said the contract initially appeared routine, but a closer review showed that it could have transferred rights over “everything that I have as a human being, my voice, my face, my gestures.”
According to her, these rights were not limited to one project and could potentially apply to “anything, forever.”
Her warning sparked concern across the entertainment industry, especially after other actors reportedly began receiving similar agreements. Tareen said this suggested that AI-related clauses may be quietly becoming more common in Pakistan’s drama and entertainment sector.
