Monitoring DeskChief Minister Punjab Pakistan using Facebook social media

Chief Minister Punjab and prominent PML(N) leader Shahbaz Sharif has launched his presence on social media platforms including Facebook and Twitter. Shahbaz Sharif launched his social media presence himself using a laptop.

Social Media for Politics

Usage of social media for politics has recently got hype in Pakistan when two political parties PML(N) and PTI announced their rallies in Lahore – capital city of Pakistan’s largest province Punjab. Both parties and their supporters geared up on social media to promote their events. As the political scenario is heating up in Pakistan, political analysts and social media experts suggest that Internet played a key role in activating supporters and bringing them to rallies in Lahore.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) led by Imran Khan is currently the most active party on Facebook and started using it very early with largest number of Facebook fans. On the other hand, PML(N) and PPP are late entrants on social media. Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) or PML(N) has recently got pretty active on Facebook and it seems that they have started realizing the power of social media in spreading party message and interacting with supporters. This is why we can see PML(N) getting really active on Facebook.

CM Punjab Shahbaz Sharif using BlackBerry
Shahbaz Sharif using BlackBerry while sitting infront of a laptop

Shahbaz Sharif using Twitter
Shahbaz Sharif demonstrating his Twitter presence

Reaching Out

Social Media provides an excellent opportunity to political leaders to reach out citizens. People can lodge complaints, submit suggestions and share their thoughts with the leadership through social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

One public message to Chief Minister on Facebook by a citizen reads:

Dear Shahbaz Sharif! I wanna come into your notice a problem that we Talagang District Chakwal people face. From last more then two years Sui Gas has been reached at Talagang Via Chakwal. It goes form Talagang bus stand to all city, but can you imagine Talagang main road one sided people have the gas supply from last more then two years and other side of people are just looking for it.

If used effectively, social media can really become a catalyst of development.

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