Around 400 years ago, Galileo Galilei of Pisa challenged the authority of the Catholic Church through his remarkable new invention: the telescope. The belief that the earth was at the center of the universe and that all other celestial bodies revolved around it—a phenomenon known as geocentrism—was heavily influenced by the Church at the time. However, using the telescope for his observations, Galileo opposed this assertion, placing the sun rather than the earth at the universe’s centre. Naturally, the Church’s authority was challenged by this heliocentric model. The telescope marked a significant milestone in disproving the Church’s stance, leading to Galileo’s infamous trial in the Inquisition, where he was charged of heresy. However, the harm was already done. Seeds of doubt had been sown, a crack which would ultimately break the Church’s monopoly over conventional narratives.
The theory of Galileo ushered in not only a technological but also a political revolution. Four centuries later, the rise of social media has brought about the same revolutionary dynamics. Social media has provided new impetus to the war of narratives across the world, taking it outside the control of traditional media and creating an explosion of different voices. The Arab Spring and the 2016 Turkish coup attempt are two major geopolitical events that demonstrate the digital revolution’s capacity to engage, educate, and motivate the public to take action.
The most significant example of this is social media. Pakistan is acting in a similar way. The country is witnessing a paradigm shift in public opinion. Mass digitalisation has resulted in a tremendous increase in digital networking, involving the active participation of over a quarter of the population. This brand-new technology is frequently utilized by individuals to voice their opinions and gain access to unfiltered information that would otherwise be unavailable to them.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is at the center of a significant shift in narrative generation that has occurred in Pakistan’s political landscape. By avoiding state-controlled media and establishing a direct, unmediated relationship with the masses, the PTI has capitalized on the new digital platforms’ previously untapped potential. Since Imran Khan was ousted from power in April 2022, the PTI has used social media strategically to keep itself in the public eye. This has allowed it to continue its digital campaign while also challenging the status quo forces in Pakistani politics. PTI’s effective utilization of platforms like X (formerly Twitter), WhatsApp, and TikTok to galvanize support and directly engage with voters has overturned traditional political narratives and outreach methods.
The group success has relied on swiftly adapting to evolving technologies and innovating new approaches in digital networking. Following the vote of no confidence in 2022, their frequent use of X spaces and online Jalsas is a prime example. These events have broken global records while rallying Pakistanis at home and abroad. Social media users in Pakistan routinely witness PTI supporters dominating X trends, while some of the most-watched YouTube videos in the country consistently echo Imran Khan’s message. In addition to enhancing PTI’s political messaging, this strategy has demonstrated the organization’s capacity to influence public sentiment outside of the digital space and achieve electoral success.
The February General elections evidenced this by showcasing PTI’s and Khan’s triumph. This achievement effectively challenges the idea that PTI’s influence is limited to being a “social media phenomenon,” as it demonstrates the transformative potential of digital platforms in shaping political landscapes. The threat of social media as a potent force has undoubtedly unnerved the established order, prompting frequent interventions by the state machinery, such as internet disruptions and website bans. Even now, accessing X in Pakistan requires a VPN.
The “keyboard warriors'” effectiveness and impact are demonstrated in all of these activities. But the story doesn’t end here. Artificial intelligence has appeared on the horizon, promising to further unsettle the social and political status quo. Once more, the PTI is not putting off incorporating this brand-new technology into its current setup. One example of such activity is Imran Khan’s AI voice generation, which allows his supporters to hear him even behind bars. PTI officials started using AI to spread Khan’s message in December.
They made speeches from notes he gave to his lawyers while he was in prison and turned them into an audio clone of Khan’s voice. “The voice was a 60 to 65 percent match, which made people believe that Mr Khan delivered the speech,” a member of the PTI social media team reported. AI was used, according to another member, “to get over suppression.” The use of this new technology for political purposes was reported by the global press, including the New York Times, the Guardian, and the Sky News.
Traditional political organizations like the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) have become increasingly irrelevant as a result of their inability to adapt to the digital revolution. This has been referred to as a “creative destruction” process by economist Joseph Schumpeter. The Industrial Revolution caused the old feudal order to lose its grasp on power and be replaced by a new bourgeoisie class, highlighting how the creation of new technology dismantles old power structures. In a similar vein, Pakistan’s conventional power dynamics are being reshaped by the digital revolution. The PMLN’s former stronghold of Punjab has now voted for a party that embraces technology. In this regard, PTI and PMLN are akin to the bourgeoisie and feudal order of the 19th century. One’s rise through the adoption of new technology causes the other’s demise through the abandonment of it.
Certainly, the decentralised landscape of social media has opened up a host of new challenges, from disinformation and abusive behaviour to concerns about privacy and surveillance. However, at the same time, it has fundamentally altered the political landscape. Social media is more than just a tool for PTI. It is their lifeline, empowering their strong and perhaps unprecedented resistance against the status quo. As the state seeks to remove this vital tool from PTI, the party’s ability to maintain its grip over social media platforms will become the key to its survival.