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Chatbot: PTI finds innovative way to help voters find electoral symbols

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KARACHI: After losing its iconic bat electoral symbol, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has launched a chatbot on Facebook Messenger to help its supporters find electoral symbols allotted to party candidates contesting February 8 elections.

On January 24, the PTI’s official account on X (formerly Twitter) announced that voters can find out about the symbols allotted to the PTI-affiliated candidates by sending a direct message to Imran Khan’s official Facebook page. [At the time of filing of the story, the post had 346,500 views].

The post says: “Another innovative way to find PTI nominated candidate for your constituency, along with the allotted electoral symbol! Just send a message to Imran Khan’s official FB page with your constituency number and you will receive the information within a few minutes.”

The party has used Facebook’s ‘Automated responses’ feature to allow voters to find out the electoral symbols of candidates contesting from their constituencies.

While the post on X says that the information will be available within a few ‘minutes’, the messaging bot is faster than that. The reply comes within a few seconds (five seconds when The News tested it).

The reply comes in two messages: the first one gives the details of the contesting person and the electoral symbol, and the second provides a link to the public WhatsApp channel created for information related to that constituency. It also includes short clips of Imran Khan’s message from jail to his supporters/voters.

Ever since the PTI lost its ‘bat’ symbol, the party has been coming up with novel strategies to inform people about the symbols allotted to its candidates who are now contesting as independents. The party has also launched insaf.pk/election2024 and a backup web page ‘pticandidates.com’ to allow people to find the symbol allotted to PTI-affiliated candidates.

The page requires visitors to enter the constituency number and instantly displays the name of the candidate and their symbol. At the end of the page is a link to join the ‘halqa’s’ (constituency) WhatsApp channel.

The PTI’s official website ‘insaf.pk’, however, is inaccessible. In a post published on X on January 24, Bytes For All confirmed this: “Local probing by @OpenObservatory confirms that http://insaf.pk (the official website of PTI, a political party in Pakistan) is currently not opening in the country. However, it is accessible via VPNs.”

The PTI is also being supported by worker-led initiatives online. For example, an anonymous X user and party worker has independently launched an offline Android-compatible application, ‘Insaf Ka Nishan’, that provides information about the PTI’s candidates. The app’s updated version was launched on January 23, 2024, and so far, it has been downloaded 1,589 times.

While the PTI is using the available tools to spread its message and move on from its setbacks, other political parties have not embraced the social media age effectively and are relying mostly on showing their street power.

In his comments to The News on the performance of political parties on the digital front, digital rights advocate and founder of Media Matters for Democracy (MMfD) Asad Baig says, “It is difficult to analyse [which political party] is performing better because there is no documentation or mapping of [the parties’ digital campaigns].”

Baig elaborates: “In 2018, the PTI used a constituency management system (CMS), which was basically an app with a database of voters. This time as well, I think, they have created a similar CMS and are using it. I believe that this use of technology can improve parties’ [election] campaigns.”

But he thinks there are several limitations. For instance, “parties are unable to make the most of technology due to the lack of digital literacy within the political parties. The trend of using technology is a little slow in political groups here. I think social media is mainly used by political parties (all of them) to weaponise their narratives and launch attacks on each other.”

He further adds that “the use of social media or digital platforms [for election campaigns] among political parties is rare.”

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Reaction to the PTI protest call by Fazlur Rehman

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Maulana Fazlur Rehman, speaking on a private television station, said that the PTI is always coming to the streets, which really lessens the impact of a protest.

He also suggested to the PTI leadership that rather than carrying on with the agitation, it should finally put a hard hand down, which would be the final nail in the coffin.

He continued, citing the JUI protests as an example, saying, “We had a strong grip over our protesters and workers, so neither road was closed nor any property damage occurred during protests.”

The PTI has the right to protest, but Maulana Fazlur Rehman described the party’s agitation strategy as insufficient, stating that it is currently being “exposed which maynot be a good sign’.

Ali Amin Gandapur, the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, promised not to go back home unless the PTI founder was freed. During their demonstration, Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, encouraged the party officials to come up with strategies to avoid being arrested.

According to an alleged audio recording, she stated that November 24 will be a loyalty test for PTI members.

Additionally, the government of Islamabad has enforced section 144 for a period of two months, which prohibits processions, rallies, demonstrations, and meetings of five or more individuals in the city.

As per the notification, the prohibition forbade meetings in any public space inside the boundaries of Islamabad, including the Red Zone, which encompasses important government buildings, diplomatic missions, and other sensitive sites.

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PTI representatives conjecture in the media over Imran’s approval of bail: FIA investigator

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The hearing on the PTI founder’s bail application in the Toshakhana-2 case has resumed at the Islamabad High Court (IHC), with Justice Mian Gul Hasan Aurangzeb serving as the presider.

The hearing was attended by the defense attorney, Barrister Salman Safdar, and FIA prosecutor Zulfiqar Abbas Naqvi.

Judge Mian Gul Hasan Aurangzeb told the FIA prosecutor to “leave the media alone and exempt yourself from them” in order to avoid commenting on the media. The statement followed the prosecutor’s assertion that the bail would be granted, which had previously been reported by media sources.

In addition, the court questioned whether the receipts in question were issued in the name of Bushra Bibi or the PTI founder itself. Bushra Bibi’s name was on the receipts listed in the challan, according to Barrister Salman Safdar.

Defense arguments
The defense expressed displeasure about the case’s 3.5-year registration wait. The prosecution has swore in Sohaib Abbasi and made Inamullah Shah a crucial witness without requiring them to take an oath.

Barrister Salman Safdar highlighted that multiple agencies, including NAB, FIA, Police, and the Election Commission, have initiated actions related to the Toshakhana case, suggesting procedural redundancy.

Regarding a phony Toshakhana receipt, he contended, the Kohsar Police Station has also filed a case.

Position of the prosecution
The FIA prosecutor, Umair Majeed Malik, maintained that the valuation of the jewelry set mentioned in the case would be explained in the prosecution’s evidence.Justice Mian Gul Hasan Aurangzeb remarked, “If the media does not spread sensationalism, how will they conduct their business?” He dismissed rumors about his health, stating that he was present and hearing the case despite such reports.

Status of Co-Accused
The court was informed that Bushra Bibi, a co-accused in the case, is currently on interim bail and awaiting a decision by Judge Afzal Majuka. Barrister Salman Safdar expressed hope that Judge Majuka would soon announce his verdict.

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Naqvi visits Fazl to express gratitude for contributions to the 26th amendment.

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Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi convened with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman to deliberate on issues of shared concern and the current political landscape in the nation.

In today’s meeting in Islamabad, Mr. Naqvi asked about Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s health and sent his best wishes for the JUI chief’s well-being and future pursuits.

Naqvi extended his appreciation to Maulana Fazlur Rehman for his crucial contribution to the enactment of the 26th Constitutional Amendment, which he characterised as a significant milestone in Pakistan’s legislative history.

Following the meeting, Naqvi commended Mr. Fazlur Rehman’s commitment to the nation, asserting, “Maulana Fazlur Rehman has consistently prioritised Pakistan’s interests, and his contributions to the country are indispensable.”

The experienced politician reaffirmed his dedication to Pakistan and its populace, stating, “Our priority has consistently been Pakistan and the well-being of its citizens.”

Senator Kamran Murtaza attended the meeting.

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