Renowned Indian TV anchor and Group Editor of English News at NDTV, Barkha Dutt used a unique strategy on social networking site Twitter to get a Pakistani visa to cover the crucial happenings in Pakistan after the Abbottabad operation in which al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden was killed. She constantly tweeted and requested Interior Minister Senator Rehman Malik to get her the visa.
Malik’s quick response resulted in a great triumph for the Indian journalist, as now she has started broadcasting a live programme from Islamabad. It all started on May 3, when she criticised Pakistan’s visa policy by tweeting, “Sadly no visas for Indian journalists looking to report this story from on the ground 🙁 goodnight all”. On the same day, Barkha approached Malik on Twitter by saying “@SenRehmanMalik sir, how about allowing us visas to report the happenings in Pakistan. Only Indian journalists not permitted sadly.”
The interior minister, who has more than 11,000 followers, most of them Pakistanis, who tweet to him daily but seldom get a reply, instantly responded to Barkha saying, “@BDUTT Madam Barkha Dutt, pl inform me who has rejected your visa. There r no such visa restrictions imposed by the government.” After an exchange of tweets from both sides, finally the efforts of Barkha were successful and she got the visa.
On May 6, the Indian journalist announced that a Pakistani visa has been given to her and tweeted, “Taking off for Pakistan! Thank you @SenRehmanMalik. Free flow of information between our countries can only help. Will try tweet often:).” Barkha also conducted a programme after reaching Pakistan on May 7 on the topic, “Will Pakistan be forever changed by the Osama Factor or will this too be absorbed by complex internal dynamics” during which Pakistani journalists Muhammad Hanif, Jugnu Mohsin and others joined her.
Indian journalist uses Twitter to get Pakistani visa
