Pakistan: Karachi Tweet Up 2009 · Global Voices
Sana Saleem

Google and CIO Pakistan have recently organized a tweet up, gathering more than 80 bloggers and Microbloggers at the Royal Rodale in Karachi. The event was the first of its kind, intended to engage bloggers in active discussion regarding social media. Some bloggers shared their experiences via blogs or tweets and the Pakistani mainstream media such as dawn, Geo and other media channels have also covered this ‘tweet up’.
Earlier, Jehan Ara at In The Line Of Wire announced the event with relevant information and a little insight on the event's purpose:
The theme of the Tweetup is “From People to Tweeple”.
The Facebook registration page states:
Just like blogging, the hype about micro-blogging has taken over Pakistan. The question always is, how to use Twitter to your advantage? Learn how local Twitter users and Bloggers are being pulled into the mainstream media and millions of voices being heard!
Registration is mandatory. There are limited seats available so the sooner you register, the more likely that you will be able to attend this special meetup (or should that be tweetup)?
Faisal Kapadia of Deadpan Thoughts was there and shares his thoughts with us:
The event was discussion style, and as Badar and Rabia the two hosts prodded and poked the audience into speaking, more and more voices came out to talk about twitter, micro blogging, its good and bad points, how it affects privacy coupled with a few sillies like stalking and terrorists using twitter thrown in. Seriously guys, terrorists? Tis a public forum ya know?
Image courtesy Photoblogger Jamal Ashiqain http://jamash.wordpress.com/
Mansoor Ehsan at Pro-Paksitan launched a cover it live console giving live updates of the event. Overall the event consisted of healthy discussions of the closely knitted Pakistani bloggers community. Meet-ups such as these are sure to give blogging and microblogging a real boost. Furthermore such events also help in educating people on ways to use social media as a tool for activism.
On my own Blog I shared details about the Tweetup, and the way twitter is being used by the Paksitani Blogosphere:
Although Dr.Awab couldn't join us, he was mentioned, his relief drive for IDPs was also through twitter. Sharing experiences and educating other non tweeps about how twitter can be a handy tool was fun. One other person missing and missed was Naveen Naqvi.  She’s actually brought Breakfast at dawn into our lives. Not to forget she is the only (TV) anchor in Pakistan to live tweet on air. We get an insight scoop on the guest to be and hence get to ask (read grill) questions. Its really nice to have such a platform, where we can pose our questions and suggestions directly to the mainstream media.
Towards the end of the event Goggle and CIO announced their partnership with dawn in sponsoring Paksitan's first Bloggers’ awards. This will be a major boost of encouragements for bloggers and a big step for the Paksitani Blogosphere.