Pakistan

Twitterverse stunned by arrival of Rehman Malik

“Cabinet meeting 2day,” tweeted Malik.

Saba Imtiaz May 26, 2010

Pakistani Twitter users have expressed 'shock and awe' at the latest VIP addition to their Twitterverse, as Interior Minister Rehman Malik has joined the micro-blogging site following a nationwide ban on Facebook.

Malik said his son told him that if he couldn't get on Facebook, where he has his own page which hosts pictures of dignitaries and has 691 fans, he should Tweet.

Malik has more than 350 followers and he has been tweeting about everything from the Facebook/YouTube ban to target killings in Karachi, terrorism and women parliamentarians. Malik has been freely communicating with his followers and other users on Twitter, responding to their Tweets and initiating conversation himself.

“Cabinet meeting 2day,” tweeted Malik. “Condemned blasphemous material. Cabinet accepted my proposal to block ONLY the objectable sections of facebook&youtube.”

In response to another Twitter user he said, “It was not GoP which imposed the facebook/youtube ban. Judiciary, LHC gave judgment on this matte & ensured its implementatn.”

He also responds to criticism and complaints. Responding to one critic he wrote: “Police follow a set procedure 4 security chks. It is their discretion and prerogative who they chk. But point duly noted.”

Malik is also using Twitter as a platform to communicate with world leaders. Below follow his tweets to David Miliband and Barack Obama:

@DMiliband You are a great leader. Best of luck. Interior Minister Rehman Malik

@BarackObama Sir, I admire your efforts in making the world more peaceful. My son, Umer, always remembers you. Best wishes. RM

Reactions (positive)

mirza9: my sole purpose on twitter is to follow rehman malik.

majorbuttretd: Whoa!! Rehman Malik on teetar!! Take that Yindia!! Now try sending a dassier more than 140 chars!!

desmukh: how sweet RT: @SenRehmanMalik: @DMiliband You are a great leader. Best of luck. Interior Minister Rehman Malik

SalmaanTaseer: It's good to c interior minister on Twitter. Wah swami hakoomat

MobisherLive: @SenRehmanMalik I think you should run for the most stylish man in #Pakistan Competition

shihabsakib: @SenRehmanMalik Impressive. You are hard work and loyalty embodied. Keep it up!

Reactions (neutral)

kaalakawaa: Dear @SenRehmanMalik, please change your display picture to one with a green tie (baby pink acceptable too). Many people want this.

Rezhasan: Musharraf, Rehman Malik, Salmaan Taseer, wonder when Zardari's gonna get on the #Twitter wagon?

Mohsin_Meer: Facebook ban has brought @SenRehmanMalik on twitter.Nice 2 C our politicians coming 2 interact with people.Can they tolerate harsh comments?

Reactions (negative)

samishah: Okay, you can ban twitter now. I am not sharing a social networking platform with Rehman Malik.

faisalqureshi: Rehman malik actually believes Obama reads his msgs frm 7mill followers. Our politicos hv 2b the lamest.

kalsoom82: @tazeen the irony of Rehman Malik on Twitter when PTA is banning everything is overwhelming.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TAKEN FROM REUTERS

COMMENTS (14)

Major (Retd) Bakruddin Butt Gujranwali | 14 years ago | Reply Dear Editar: I am humbly proposing that Facebook should kindly have "Everybody draw General Musharraf Day" This would be more in keeping with the honour and dignity of Pakistan. Facebook should do this to atone for their blasphemy. Kindly forward my humble suggestion to them. They are lucky that we did not put fatwa on them.

ali arqam | 14 years ago | Reply Fauzha Wahab is nowadays busy visiting madressahs to get clean chit from the mullahs,..

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unknown | 14 years ago | Reply Can Someone tell Mr. Rehman Malik that @barackobama's account is a bot?

qamar | 14 years ago | Reply kashmala and co tooo

A.S. Zara | 14 years ago | Reply Be brave to face the Supreme Court.

Salman | 14 years ago | Reply Rehman Malik on twitter .......now twitter is going to liquidate very soon!!

Nabeel | Create Your First Website | 14 years ago | Reply This is good. We need more Government reps/people in government to be available freely to the public!! But the problem is, the vast majority of people (i.e.problems) are not represented by people in twitter. How many Pakistanis use twitter compared to the whole population? The problems are on the the streets et al. But in the end, I will again say that this is a good step. He should keep us updated, but please RM, give us good news! In your tweets, we are hoping to hear good steps that you take for the betterment of Pakistan and which you actually implement!

PK | 14 years ago | Reply Errrr I'm pretty sure mirza9 was being sarcastic

Umayr Masud | 14 years ago | Reply Whether you like him or not, It is a brave and commendable decision. Lets hope he actually listens to the saner advice.

Farigh | 14 years ago | Reply I appreciate his courage to face the people directly. I will appreciate even more when he can tolerate harsh comments. He has changed his attitude towards judiciary after the failed attempt to stop restoration, indicates he can learn from mistakes

Ashfak | 14 years ago | Reply i never had any interest in Twitter but R Malik is making me change my mind. now i have to join Twitter and then i can have a go at R Malik :@

Adeel Sami | 14 years ago | Reply I just thought none of our political icons are any aware to the technology called Internet ... RM proved me wrong !!!

shobz | 14 years ago | Reply I think Rehman Malik will end up blocking nearly everyone because he will be subjected to tons of abuse. It is easier to have a go at him on twitter coz he has made himself so available. It's a catch 22 situation: he can either block them all and lose followers or let them abuse him so he can retain them. The worst case scenario is that he can rely on spam bots :)

Irfan Tariq | 14 years ago | Reply When Fozia Wahab is coming on twitter ? hahah

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