Trends Monitor published its first report after monitoring 37 trending hashtags on Twitter in Pakistan from 23rd to 30th June. Terming it an “extremely unfair practice”, the report indicated that such accounts were directly involved in inciting violence against political rivals and journalists. Media Matters for Democracy Founder Asad Baig termed it “a political cyber-war” where opposing political fronts target each other. Moreover, he highlighted that the process involved manipulating narratives by igniting political and religious violence against political rivals. Sadaf Khan, Director of Media Matters for Democracy, said, “The hate speech against women journalists and women politicians is often heavily sexualised.

Source: Pakistan Today July 21, 2018 16:56 UTC