Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) launched an iPhone application on January 20 to enhance its online social media presence.
PTI is the first political party in the country to have an outstanding web and social media presence. It has made political history by launching Insaf TV, Insaf Radio, Google hangouts with Imran Khan and live-streaming of political rallies. The party has now launched its official application on the Apple App Store. The application can be installed on iPhones, iPads and other iOS based devices by searching for ‘PTI Official’ or on this link insaf.pk/iPhone.
According to a press release, the application’s main page includes a voter verification link which is in line with the party’s emphasis on increasing voter engagement in the upcoming elections. Links for Insaf Radio and TV are present on the page with Imran Khan’s picture pointing towards the user asking, Ab Naheen Tou Kab, Hum Naheen Tau Kaun (If not now, when; if not us, who?).
The application’s bottom interface includes options like the party’s ideology, constitution, revolutionary policies and its leaders’ assets. The About tab contains information about the makers of the application Jibran Ilyas, Haris Siddiqui and Aly Boghani. This team has dedicated the application to Khan and PTI’s youth members. The News tab pulls in live information from the PTI website, the party’s Facebook page and blogs. The Twitter tab adds tweets from PTI’s official Twitter page, Khan’s page and the application’s official twitter page. The Actions tab presents users with the option of becoming paying members and make recurring payments to the political party. They can offer to become volunteers through this application and share it with their friends and family.
PTI has been trying to adopt Obama’s model of voter engagement. It has been collecting ‘ticket size’ donations from the Pakistani diaspora and adding links for online contribution.
PTI’s social media team discussed its future plans with The Express Tribune and said they would launch the iPhone application’s next version and a separate Android application soon.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 13th, 2013.