As part of the ongoing partnership between Newsline and Teabreak.pk, our two media companies are combining resources to bring new forms of discourse and analysis to news-hungry audiences. We are all set to launch the second session in our series of live discussions titled “The Chat Room.”

Session 2 is all about the role and impact of social media on democracy in Pakistan. We have all seen how social media was used during the uprisings in the Arab world in 2011, and closer to home we have seen the PTI use social media extremely well to reach out to potential young voters. But can social media transform democracy in Pakistan?

Join us Friday at 8pm as we examine how social media is affecting democracy in Pakistan. Is it a game changer, or will its real impact actually be much smaller here than many commentators (and young social media users) would have us believe?

As moderator, blogger and activist Sana Saleem will get our esteemed panellists to answer the following questions:

• How has social media affected the dynamics of politics and political campaigning in Pakistan in recent years?
• Can social media change power structures?
• Can social media break down divides, or is it still a elitist platform?
• Can information communication technologies be used for transparency in governance and transparency during policy making?

The Ch@t Room

Session 2: You can participate in this discussion by asking questions to our panellists and by answering polls. View a list of our panellists and read their bios below.

The live chat is scheduled to start at 8pm, Friday, December 30, 2011.
Join in here for the discussion on Social Media and Democracy: Friday, December 30, 2011, at 8pm PST.

Get updates and more event details by connecting with us via Twitter:

@NewslineMag
@teabreakdotpk

Panellist Bios for Session 2: Social Media and Democracy

Amir Zia

Amir Zia has worked for some of the leading national and international media organizations in a career spanning more than 20 years. He writes mainly on the Pakistan economy, politics and extremism. Currently, Zia is associated with one of Pakistan’s leading English-language newspapers, The News, as Group Business Editor. Before joining The News in March 2010, he served as Director News & Current Affairs of Urdu-language private news channel SAMAA. He has also worked for The Associated Press of America, Reuters and Newsline. He has also been the Karachi correspondent of Gulf News. Zia has received two APNS Awards for best stories on economy and general news in 1997. He was elected secretary of the Karachi Press Club in mid-1990s. Born in Karachi, Zia got early education from Nasra Secondary School. He obtained a Masters’ degree in English Literature from the University of Karachi in 1990.

Imran Ghazali

Imran Ghazali is a graduate of Ohio State University in Columbus. He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree in spring 2009. Imran started his political journey as an activist for the lawyers movement. He has been a member of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) since 2004. Imran works in the Web Management team of PTI and also leads the Social Media team of PTI.

Jehan Ara

Jehan Ara is the President of the Pakistan Software Houses Association for IT & ITES (P@SHA). She has been spearheading efforts at P@SHA for the past eight years during which time she was responsible for developing the P@SHA brand and for creating linkages between P@SHA and local and international partners. Jehan has 29 years experience in marketing, communications and interactive new media in Hong Kong, the Far East, the UAE and Pakistan. She is a motivator, an entrepreneur, a social activist and a strong propagator of  extending the power and use of Information and communication technologies beyond pure traditional business, to empower and enable communities. She is a regular speaker at seminars and conferences and at colleges and universities across Pakistan and the region. She also writes for various industry publications.