The fiasco started as #FamilyGate, turned into a #MalikGate, morphed into #MediaGate and suddenly I was thrushed into a weird fiasco which I choose to call as #TwitterGate. Unless you have been sleeping under a rock im sure you must have read Pakistans obsession with the “Gate fiasco” somewhere along the line, watergate to memogate etc etc, It seems Pakistanis are ready to rename all possible gates in Lahore and beyond
TwitterGate takes birth on the afternoon of 14th June 2012. When suddenly scanned copies of a Baharia Town documents appeared on the social networks, it listed about 19 top journalists to have been allegedly favored by the Bahria town owners in one form of the other, [this release comes hours after the off-air DunyaTV youtube video hits the social network hours earlier]. Noticing these images, I choose to share the image by ProPakistani at 4:05 pm on my facebook profile
The ProPakistani had actually picked it up from a twitter account of Abdullah Saad (@Kursed) who had actually posted this a status update on Twitter
Post Deleted
— Abdullah Saad (@Kursed) June 14, 2012
Upon talking to Abdullah Saad today he categorically says that the image was not posted by him, but instead was a ReTweet of a particular media personality, whose tweet he ReTweeted (new style), when “the media personality” deleted his own tweet, it actually resulted in Abdullah Saad’s tweet also being deleted. The name of the media personality mentioned by Abdullah Saad was given to me but I choose to with-hold the name until I can get his own point of view [I’m paying caution to the wind lest i be sucked in an another circus]
[Read an update at the bottom of this post]
My second facebook update was made at 4:31pm after I discovered that the ProPakistani had only one page [3rd page] and Meri Jan Pakistan had the entire 4-page set on their facebook page in an album titled #MediaGate
After this post almost 29 minutes after from my “first Facebook (ProPakistani) status update” I tweeted the following at precisely 4:34pm on 14th June 2012. This was then also the first time I shared this on twitter and by then twitter was brimming full of these documents, if for an example even Kursed himself had retweeted the particular update well before 4:05pm, to have been picked up by ProPakistani and then to have been re-shared by myself
19 anchors on MR’s Bahria Town land list – most will have a tough time to deflect this accusation #MalikGate on.fb.me/NAu2Wp
— Awab Alvi (@DrAwab) June 14, 2012, 4:34pm
COMMENTS
- No where have I been involved in the “release or creation of this list” – I issue an open challenge to anyone to find any link, IP address to find that I personally helped create the list or to have uploaded this document.
- The mere fact that roughly 39 people [as of writing of this post] retweeted a tweet after it had already been in circulation prior to 4:05pm does not mean that the blaming finger points to a person whose tweet “was viewed by the most number of times” versus anyone elses’.
- If the accusation, that I should have verified the document before sharing – can be the possible debate, but the brunt of the accusation thrown upon me for the past two days, is to have been the “original uploader” &/or “have been involved in the creation” of this list – Which I am neither
- The slanderous campaign on Dunya TV and on Bolta Pakistan is uncalled for, as much as they accuse me for not verifying a document, I stand to question them in-turn – these “Professional Journalists” have initiated a slanderous campaign against me without verifying the facts, they accused me of creating the document but did not even so much as care to investigate the facts or the digital trail, two wrongs dont make a right.
- Nusrat Javed Sb was mighty irritated on the evening of the 14th on Bolta Pakistan, after having been cyber bullied by many on twitter, Im sure he along with many other anchors must have received a number of attacks, for which he generally has chosen to clump them to have been “directed by PTI”. Nusrat Sb, with all due respect, PTI Social Media team (including me) have absolutely no control over any twitter user, we advocate our supporters to discuss issues with decency and respect but there is no way we can control or censor what a random person might say.
- Absolutely no one is under my personal direction nor is delegated by me to run such malicious campaign against any journalist or any person whatsoever
- With the possibility of so many fake & random accounts that can exist on twitter, we would like to draw your attention that there could very well be a deliberate & malicious attempt by our opponents to mal-align PTI, I’m not transferring the blame away but it must seriously be factored in.
Nusrat Sb goes on to accuse me on his Bolta Pakistan page to be running the PTI-troll army
This SMS I just got from a PTI-insider from abroad: Nusrat Sahab the man behind all this propaganda against us is Dr Awab Alvi. He gives instructions to all the PTI trolls on social media. He was also behind that list.”
My response, Sir, is your journalistic research dependent upon an SMS? I’m sure not, I do hope that your PTI-Insider has more to show for than a mere 180 character message. Let me reassure you PTI totally and fully denounces abusive language, neither the party not its social media team has any interest in creating enemies from media personalities. Our team is open to suggestions on how to handle this growing problem and remain open to ideas and suggestions for the same, we cannot stop / censor the internet, mere reinforcement by leaders does not solve the issue, hence a dilemma worth frothing over
I must admit, due to the emotionless 140-character paradigm of twitter there are times when a certain irritated slapstick jab, possibly a wrong selection of words, can be perceived as abuse [non-profanity], but we all try to avoid such situations and advocate others to do the same
Hence in conclusion – neither PTI nor I, have any link or association with this document, the public discourse after its release has more or less been shrugged off as false
A good read as well – Facts that Nusrat Sahib missed
UPDATE June 17th 15:00: On June 12th at 12:59am it seems Wajahat Khan posted a link to the youtube video which has the same names of the anchors listed – he posted the same to his own followers on twitter and facebook
Here it is. The allegedly ‘corrupt journo’ list which was ‘released’ in Lahore MT @GMustafaaa: youtube.com/watch?v=GFJnA0… @Razarumi #Bahria #CJ
— Wajahat S. Khan (@WajSKhan) June 11, 2012
Who had tweeted the youtube from Ghulam Mustafa at 12:42am on 12th June
@AsadKharal Are you talking about this list circulating for a few days.youtube.com/watch?v=GFJnA0… — Ghulam Mustafa (@GMustafaaa) June 11, 2012
And in their discussion Asad Kharal, Express Tribune reporter mentioned in reference at 12:36am
Out of total 8 journalists as many as four anchors/columnists have been belonging to only one media group — Asad Kharal (@AsadKharal) June 11, 2012
It seems the Twitter and Facebook digital trail ends at or near this time frame Wajahat, Ghulam Mustafa & Asad Kharal were discussing this list almost two days prior to it appearing on the 14th afternoon, it might be best to ask them to clarify the origins of this list?
UPDATE #2 17th June 19:30: Digging a little deeper it seems the Youtube Video that Wajahat & Ghulam Mustafa shared was actually uploaded on 7th of June 2012 [go to the Youtube video and click stats to see the necessary data] the first site to upload it was on a forum on PKPOLITICS – the URL http://pkpolitics.com/discuss/topic/%d8%b5%d8%ad%d8%a7%d9%81%db%8c%d8%8c-%d8%ac%d8%b1%d9%86%db%8c%d9%84%d8%8c-%d8%b3%db%8c%d8%a7 it is now not accessible, and may have been moderated out, while at the same time the user made multiple posts on Twitter, Facebook & Siasat.pk. It seems to be a random user making multiple posts and possibly got moderated. 
Of the four sites uploading it first, it might be prudent for the investigation team to issue a show-cause notice by NR3C and get the necessary IP addresses from PkPolitics &/or Siasat.pk [since Twitter and Facebook would definitely not oblige] Once you track the video you can figure out where did the TwitterGate actually originate from.
UPDATE #3 June 18th 23:00: The digital trail seems to end at Asad Kharal who at 12:17am on June 12th shares that a list of distributed at the Punjab Assembly
list distributed in Punjab Assembly, contains names of anchors includingfemale anchor,allegedly received money, plots, fromMalik Riaz.
— Asad Kharal (@AsadKharal) June 11, 2012
Seeing this tweet I’m furious, this document was circulated outside the Punjab Assembly in front of hundreds of Lawmakers, Not one person had the decency to confess up or point out the facts to Nusrat Javed Sb that this list originated from an individual in the Punjab Assembly.
A so-called jounrliast like Nusrat Javed should have done the necessary research before mouthing off allegations, on me and PTI. I personally can only thank him for all the media attention it got me, but I should have the right to challenge Nusrat Javed to have the decency to issue an apology, is he above the norms of decency? must be since when we challenged he flatly refused
Comments
178 responses to “TwitterGate & a Response to Nusrat Javed Sb”
@Anas_Younus @javeednusrat @mushtaqminhas @HassanNisarPK @TalatHussain12 @Shahidmasooddr ??? is – Who Distributed the list in Punjab Asmbly?
@DrAwab @javeednusrat @marvisirmed…Plz chk awab's tweet
@alavi19 I cant. he has blocked me. @DrAwab @javeednusrat
@DrAwab brave man
Does PTI believe & advocate faking? @DrAwab Totally love how @javeednusrat is obsessed with PTI – he questions other ppl credibility,
@DrAwab @javeednusrat baba g Sathya gey hain
@DrAwab @javeednusrat from providing father to presidents love to be untouchable,come home wise heads
@DrAwab The guys at Jang/Geo are trying to give you the entire credit for those 'concocted' list of journos. Hamid Mir is touting it today.
@DrAwab That was not what I said, that ws the headline of the story. My question was if you are guilty or not with a '?' Also RT ur response
@MansoorGeoNews Sir @DrAwab response explain he isnt guilty,its time U mention those tv anchors who did propaganda against awab,thy r guilty
@MansoorGeoNews Baych Kar Talwarey'n Khareed Liye Mussally Tum Ney,Betiyan Lut'ti Rahee'n or Tum DuaKarty Rahy!Protest4Sister Aafia Sidique
@MansoorGeoNews One sided story never sticks. The article (whoever wrote it wth whatevr goals) fails to mention @DrAwab 's adequate response
@MansoorGeoNews pak second inning 223 hafeez bhai tak message pohunchadu k bus jazz k or hbl k add karain cricket in k bus ki nahi
@DrAwab @mansoorgeonews dr Sb its nt u Pti is a social media Gutter , u ve been involved in baseless nd cheap propaganda agnst ur opponents.
@DrAwab @MansoorGeoNews Fair enough,and we PTI don't need to response those blames.. Let em do their job,we know how clean we are !
@DrAwab If you have your own news show on primetime tv, you've proved yourself as a journalist. Who cares about research any more?
@HamidMirGEO Yeah. Doesnt this Bahria journalists' list appear on 11th June outside Punjab Assembly 3 days b4 @DrAwab 're-shared' it on FB?
@DrAwab @HamidMirGEO its so pity that our media anchors so called opnion makers jump to conclusion with out any due-diligence
@XIApk @Shafqat_Mahmood @AajKamranKhan @HamidMirGEO all links point to PTI social media team for targeting and deeming journalists
@arsched plz read the blog for once list was out way b4 & @Shahidmasooddr also said same thing @Shafqat_Mahmood @AajKamranKhan @HamidMirGEO
@arsched infact links more2 PKpolitics run by PMLn n no anchor journalist who is consider propmln on the list @Shafqat_Mahmood @HamidMirGEO
@XIApk Sir @arsched,i hv a great respct of ur work,but realy feel sad abt ur childish behavour on this,dr awab already expland ths in detail
@arsched Did u read the blog before? (reply of Dr Awab) http://t.co/HUVjVWl9 plz do give ur feedback
@XIApk cheap attempt to get noticed. ignore it. @arsched @Shafqat_Mahmood @AajKamranKhan @HamidMirGEO
@DrAwab @MansoorGeoNews aj kal mansoor bhai kafee jaga "?" dalna bhool rahay hain;)
@DrAwab journalists do, IF they uphold professionalism
@DrAwab infancy any responsible person would check authenticity of sources b4 sharibg info otherwise it's nothing but malicious gossip.
@DrAwab @arsched @Shafqat_Mahmood @AajKamranKhan @HamidMirGEO DR,R u under investigation by FIA for posting fake list of MR's benificiaries?
@XIApk @Shahidmasooddr somebody show this to #marvisirmed plz as she knowingly or unknowingly bashing #pti for that…why???
@JunaidIqbaKhan @XIApk @Shahidmasooddr u will findout sooner or later..in this world ppl trade..
@DrAwab Investigative journalism is an oft-used term but nor followed adequately. Any rumor is news to them.
@mughalbha @javeednusrat Awab ki history books ki daal meiN kaala hai; Watergate toh umbreekioN ka thhaa.
@mughalbha @javeednusrat Iss blog post meiN toh muhavroN ka bhi qala-qamaa hua vaa hai. Good god someone give Awab a dictionary!
@UroojZia @javeednusrat Dr. Awab Alvi's dream is to blow up the parliament of Pakistan:) http://t.co/76svWz4s #DrAwabAlvi #PTI
@UroojZia @javeednusrat #ImranKhan Request to #GeneralPervezMusharraf in 2002 http://t.co/g90lQEm9 #ShamReferendum
@UroojZia @javeednusrat @godfatheriv #PTI Rally Marriott Poolside http://t.co/3APhp9Gt @abbasnasir59
@XIApk @Shahidmasooddr Shame that despite the clarification from Dr Alwi sme journalists r still having a go at PTI. No class just greed 4$£
i'm surprised that we all can fall for elaborate forgeries 🙂
@DrAwab @javeednusrat Nusrat will neverReplyGhatiyaJournalist @arsched see Karnama of Nusrat
Regards #IK Fan #Imran4Pakistan
This mediagate is an indication that the media should come together and formulate a code of ethics for its functioning as well because in today's Pakistan, media plays an important role in shaping the opinion of the general public..!!!
As rightly said, with power comes responsibility, and with absolute power comes absolute responsibility..! media should endeavor to become responsible..!
This is the way to disclose, much more things awaited to be disclosed :D. Anyhow for better resolution for these kind of news visit the following link for your interest. http://bit.ly/PEIu0w
@DrAwab I hav already looked at it when it was posted whats the point? like me than it wd b locked out 4 others too! nt all in fb r added!
http:/teeth.com.pk/blog/
Nusrat Javed Is A Third Class Person And A Pathetic Excuse For A Journalist.When He Left Bol PFUJ Expelled Him From Their Ranks
No Need To Waste Time On This Drunkard