Bilawal Bhutto Zardari joins Twitterati

The PPP chairm­an has starte­d sharin­g his though­ts with his fast-growin­g group of follow­ers.

KARACHI:

Twitter may not host enough entertainment celebrities from Pakistan, but the microblogging site is used by a fair share of the country’s politicians. Shahbaz Sharif, Pervez Musharraf, Naveed Qamar, Imran Khan and Rehman Malik are some of well-known members of Twitter. The platform now has a new member with Bilalwal Bhutto Zardari joining it this week.

With @bbhuttozardari as his Twitter handle, the chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has already crossed a fan-following of 1,450, within the first 24 hours of posting his first tweet: “How do I fix my profile picture?” Which was later followed by, “Ahhh... cup of coffee and @etribune. Perfect way to start the day.”

Bilawal is not the first member of the Bhutto clan to join the site as Fatima Bhutto, Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari, Ghinwa Bhutto and Aseefa Bhutto Zardari are already on Twitter.

The young chairman received a warm welcome from family and friends.

“So excited that my big brother is on Twitter. Ladies and Gentlemen, the real Bilawal Bhutto Zardari @BBhuttoZardari,” wrote Aseefa.

“Absolutely loves all the welcoming of Bilawal on Twitter. I had been asking him to join for almost a year, so touched by all the messages,” tweeted Bakhtawar.

“Good to see you here,” posted late governor of Punjab Salmaan Taseer’s daughter Shaherbano Taseer.

And as expected, political status is not all that is attracting Bilawal’s fans on Twitter. “Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, you are a real gujee gujee goo,” tweeted the person behind television celebrity Mathira’s Twitter account, and while the account may be fake, the user sounds like a fan.

Now that all three siblings are on Twitter, the trio can have some family time online. “Aseefa, it’s my middle-child syndrome. I require attention from my siblings 24/7, Bilawal,” wrote Bakhtawar.

Other than his sisters, Bilawal is currently following 29 accounts, including the late governor Punjab Salmaan Taseer, his wife Aamna Taseer and daughter Shehrbano Taseer, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Pakistan Ambassador to US Hussain Haqqani, Minister for Privatisation and Energy Pakistan Naveed Qamar and MNA Farah Naz.

Here are some interesting statements posted by politicians on the site.

Shahbaz Sharif

Waiting for the plane to land in Dubai and [listening to] ‘Ghazab Kia Teray Waday Pay Aiatbar Kia’.

Rehman Malik

I have just seen the demand to bring back Shahid Afridi. My friends, I am the interior minister, not the minister for sports.

Marvi Memon

The only VIP perk that I would use as MNA, which I have no access to now, is changing flights last minute without cancellation charges.

Farah Naz

With all respect to those who are tweeting that we must not be working hard since we are on Twitter — it’s multitasking at its best.

Kashmala Tariq

Always keep praying because possible and impossible is only your thought — there is nothing impossible for Allah.

Atiqa Odho

Where is the code of conduct in media? Who sets the rules of the game?

Ijazul Haq

The entire country is in the grip of severe electricity crisis. No money. No electricity. Total mismanagement.

Pervez Musharraf

Unfortunately where politics divides us, sports unite us.

Mushahid Hussain

Within 90 days, two million citizens of Swat valley fled war, the largest number of internally displaced persons. But they are back now.





Published in The Express Tribune, July 23^rd, 2011.