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Pakistan first… Facebook second?
As I sit writing this piece, hitting the refresh button on former president Pervez Musharraf’s Facebook page,...
As I sit writing this piece, hitting the refresh button on former president Pervez Musharraf’s Facebook page, watching the number of followers add up by the minute (over 150,000 at the rate of 100 per day) I have to admit – whatever else – the former President really has an ace team of Facebook advisors.
And that’s not where it ends.
Musharraf’s Facebook page announced the former president’s bold leap into the 140-characters-only world of Twitter in March, where he has, admittedly (surprisingly?), only garnered a smattering of less than 1,000 supporters. Perhaps this low response is due to the fact that being limited to saying what you need to say in just one sentence is a lot harder than it looks.
But that’s okay.
What goes unsaid on Twitter can always be delivered in a suitable, seated-behind-a-dull-desk online video. Yes, Musharraf also has his own YouTube channel, the aptly named “ThePasdarePakistan” where his latest video’s description reads, “Facts on Balochistan”. (Geo beware – the rumour mills predict that the markets may soon be awash with a downloadable Musharraf-in-your-pocket mobile application.)
But wait a minute.
Similar to Twitter, the YouTube channel is showing a massive discrepancy in the number of visits.
According to the available statistics, Musharraf’s YouTube channel has received less than 200 views despite being active for over a month. And despite the videos being blasted across the 150,000 plus Facebook fan page, “ThePasdarePakistan” only has 30 subscribers and a few thousand total views at the time this article is being written.
I fear the former president may be wrong in his assumptions about riding the online tide back into the hearts and minds of Pakistan’s youth.
Alas, these hearts and minds appear to have enough time to click a “like” button, or toss over a quick “Sir! Please come back to Pakistan!” on Facebook, but giving them the arduous task of actually watching a seven minute video seems to be asking too much.
Lets not even attempt to talk about getting fans such as this to vote.
Reader Comments (17)
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General (R) Pervez Musharraf was very popular when he took over the country as Chief Executive.
It was bad luck for him when he first met Chaudhry Brothers who became grate fans of Musharraf and toed him towards the politics.
At the beginning Mr. Musharraf took some very good decisions. People were expecting that he will definitely implement on the 7 points which he announced on the night when he first appeared on the TV screen a coup leader.
Skipping the other six points of Musharraf’s agenda, if he would have worked seriously on “providing justice at the door step”, I am sure that he would have had more support from the people.
It is difficult for the people to keep up the promises, so does it happed with General (R) Musharraf.
MUsharraf cannot come back in active politics until PPP government is there. And the next turn is of PML-N.
Musharraf’s All Pakistan Muslim League is at the moment an unpopular political party. I doubt APML will be able to rise in Pakistan as fast as PPP when the late former Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto announced PPP in 1967 in Lahore.
Now the Chaudhry Brothers are sitting ideal and waiting for their turn to rule the country. Though Chaudhry Pervez Elahi at the beginning of election campaign were very much enthusiastic to become the Prime Minister of Pakistan, but his all dreams shattered when leading politicians of PML-Q lost February 18 elections.
Though Obama Administration is satisfied with the present PPP setup but at the same time US Ambassador in Pakistan is equally engaged with PML-N Chief Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif.
In both the cases whether PPP rules the country or the PML-N, General (R) Pervez Musharraf is standing no where in the political scene of Pakistan.
Though MQM likes General (R) Pervez Musharraf very much, but MQM is unable to help General (R) Pervez Musharraf to rule the country, as MQM does not have very many voters in interior Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa.Recommend
The writer seems to have some personal grudge with the former president. Believe me he has much more fans throughout Pakistan than any of our politicans. I being one of the greatest supporters of Musharraf believe he should not come back to Pakistan at the moment. The people, Lawyers, Media, and etc should have more taste of the democracy they demanded for. After 2 or 3 more years people will beg for musharraf to come back. I was in faizabad a place on the way to rawalpindi from islamabad, where thousands of protesters were gathered and raising slogans like “Pak Fauj Zindabad”. So lets give it more time and you’ll see musharraf in power in no time.Recommend
Pervez Musharraf has close to One hundred and seventy thousand fans(168,316) till last count at his Facebook page,which is itself no mean achievement.It also shows thousands of Pakistani’s like Pervez Musharraf and admire the work he did for Pakistan,from October 1999 till August 2008.
General Pervez Musharraf was the best thing that ever happened to Pakistan at least, in the last 30 years. Pervez Musharraf is an honest, sincere man and is and was more democratic, than our so called politicians. Those who call him a dictator are in fact the biggest dictator themselves. During his time economy was strong and Dollar was at Rs 60/-.Inflation was low, there was less corruption and unemployment was not going through the roof. Business, Telecommunication, Banking, Automobile and Construction industry were in boom during his period thus creating thousands of jobs both directly and indirectly. He build the strategically important Gwadar port, started work on Dams, Build roads and Tele/Cell communication network was laid in Pakistan were some of his major achievement.During his rule the face of Karachi was changed from a shabby city to a city where there are now flyovers, underpasses, carpeted roads, beautiful parks and more.
Pervez Musharraf Legendry saying Sab Se Pehle Pakistan (Pakistan First) has touched the hearts and minds of honest and patriotic Pakistani’s both in Pakistan and outside Pakistan.Recommend
I am hundred percent agree with Mr.Khattak and Mr.Baig,
I am living in United States for last 30 years, I never experience
the respect of any Individual Includes US pesident that Mr.Mushrrf
enjoy around the world. I was trying to buy the ticket for $250.00
in california when Mr.Musharraf came here for Lecture in Palm Desert
california, The Hotel administration told me that the 1600 peoples
capacity hall has been sold and about 200 peoples are waiting if there
is any cancellation. This is example how much peoples love him as a honest,simple,humble and brave man. We wish him a good luck for
future president.Recommend
Musharraf did what this Government can never do.
Musharraf cares for the 17 crore awaam with the bottom of his heart.
He is not corrupt like many we saw thrice in power.
Its the duty of those who are educated as well as illitrates to tell this Government as to what all Musharraf did for the people of Pakistan?
Its very easy to do mudslinging.
Have a heart.Recommend
Twitter is connected with his Facebook, he doesn’t need to login it and answer people over there. Secondly, Twitter hasn’t got that much potential and have got famous in Pakistani generation yet as compare to Facebook.
I am no more fan of Musharaff but I believe the author of the article hasn’t research any thing about Social media and hit on the tail of the nail instead of hitting a head.Recommend
well only one thing can be said about musharraf.. an intelligent adversary is better than a dumb friend….even though he might have had the best of intentions he was too dumb because he got played in to the hands of the then present politicians….Recommend
Musharraf is a good man and non-corrupt. I hope he is able to make a political comeback and provide some genuine opposition in Pakistani politics. Right now there is just lazy PPP and their “friendly opposition” in Nawaz League.Recommend
I wish and pray there was cent % education in Pakistan so that people would understand their Rulers.
No jagir daar,wadera,khan and chaudrhy would like to lose their power over the illitrates.
Its only poeple like Musharraf who really care for the people awaam and would tackle all their problems with a sincere heart and fear of God.
He is not like the two N’s and Z with hollow slogans and false promises.
Its the deeds that speas not just mare words.
What Musharraf did we can see but still his enemies do mudsliging.
How low thy can go?
They degrade themselves with their geebat ie backbite,perhaps they forget that geebat is like eating dead brother’s flesh.Who would like it?
I never heard Musharraf retaliate,only God fearing people do that and leave it to God to do justice.
Pakistan needs leaders like him.
We should unite and propogate what all he did when he was in power.Recommend
Why is everybody supporting him. He was a corrupt dictator. He did nothing but destroy Country’s institutions. I wish he is brought back and made accountable for the crimes he committed.Recommend
OMG!! i feel pity for those people who praise such a hypocrite like musharaf. what the hell, i agree he was good in his initials years of rule when he announced his 7 points agenda which really was admired by the people but we know what he did. did he implemented any of those things. he said to take extreme actions against corrupt politicians but on the contrary he brought the notorious NRO. u MUSH supporters explains me that huh!!!! not just this he dis functioned CJ and with that caused whole law institute to come at held.. how do u justify that.just get alive he never was , not today and never will be honest to pakistan. Musharar MURDABAD!!!!!!Recommend
Stats-reality?
All in all, people are good at chanting slogans. “Sir, Come back please!” is the one which I read most often.
I’m quite surprised that the same people who ardently speaks about the number of fans Musharraf page has got are readily unable to answer why’s that the youtube hits aren’t as immense as the fan page stats are? Maybe the argument would say a slow connection speed is the reason? Or the people in Pakistan are too much busy to spend a straight 10 minutes to watch the video — and that they’d prefer to be a “keyboard warrior” for a few seconds than the former one?
On a side note, many a times I’ve seen people clicking on the “like” button without reading what the “update” says. And many a times I would see even a death news being updated on a page is liked by 10′s of fans.Recommend
There is no logic in supporting dictators, who are generally; corrupt, illegal, autocratic, answerable to no one, and selling Pakistanis. I agree with author, just clicking “like it” cannot be translated into popularity in general public of Pakistan.
History reveals despite being all odds with politician, it is the period of generals like him where Pakistan lost most. Majority of fans represents liberalism which is not popular ideology in Pakistan. If his popularity was true it should have been depicted at tweeter and you-tube as well.Recommend
Hes not corrupt….thats news to meRecommend
Looking at the available lot of politicians we have…I would put my stake in Musharraf too. He is capable of doing things. The best thing about him is he is not money-minded. He likes to be in POWER, and guess what… me too ;-) , so welcome Musharraf to Pakistan…, the anchors like Dr Masood and Hamid Mir who portrayed Musharraf as a devil have been exposed big time. The Lawyers are now reffered to as, Wakeel-Gard…, CJ Panjab highcourt has been busted big time, by mentioning his ties with with Nawaz & Shahbaz, in his book (Indirectly our great chief Justice is also exposed by main-na-manoon approach to insist on him being the Lahore CJ)…GEO bused for not having paid Taxes…Jhoot ka pardaa uth rahaa hay…time now for the truth to come out! Teri Yaad Ayai Teray Janay Kay baad!Recommend
what is wrong with all of you how can you support such a hypocrite…god forbid but if one of your family members was in lal masjid at the time he brutally killed all of the students i would like to see the expression on your faces…he allowed americans to build bases in balochistan..he launched the operation in swat increasing militancy…he was the reason why the drone attacks started in the first place…i agree that the current government is no good too but instead of looking up to such a hypocrite as a leader we should realise that its imran khan that we needRecommend
zardari or musharraf.. 1000 NRO’s and i still choose musharraf.. jeay musharraf balay balay..Recommend