The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has opted to reassess the social media influencers project.
Advisor of Information KP, Barrister Saif, addressed the media about this decision to reevaluate the social media influencers project.
He mentioned that the provincial government has resolved to settle outstanding payments and reconsider the social media influencers project. This initiative is currently under review.
The Information advisor KP elaborated that trained social media influencers will be deployed across various sectors. The provincial government had initially enlisted these influencers to maintain a connection with the public.
Previously, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) in January 2022 had enlisted 1,360 social media influencers to combat misinformation and propaganda against then administration.
These influencers were to receive a monthly salary of Rs 25,000 and were mandated to have a minimum of 1000 followers on at least one social media platform.
In addition to dispelling false narratives, these influencers were to raise awareness at the grassroots level about the various policies implemented by the PTI government in the province.
A budget of Rs 736 million was allocated for this project, with each influencer receiving a monthly stipend of Rs 25,000.
Initially, all influencers were hired as interns for one year, with the possibility of contract extension.
The provincial government had completed the recruitment process for social media influencers in various districts.
Opposition parties have criticized the KP government’s decision, labeling it as an attempt to sow discord in politics. The initially proposed budget for the project was Rs 870 million, later reduced to Rs 736 million.
According to the KP government website, the interns’ responsibilities include relaying public grievances and aspirations to the government, gathering public opinion on proposed initiatives, monitoring human rights violations on social media, and maintaining records of social media analytics for different government projects.
