Speaker
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Anees Baqir is an Assistant Professor of Data Science at Northeastern University, London, whose research focuses on the spread of information and misinformation, and the dynamics of social polarization in online environments. He earned his PhD in Computer Science from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, where he examined online social dynamics and news consumption. Following his PhD, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Complex Human Behavior lab at Fondazione Bruno Kessler in Trento, where his work centered on misinformation and polarization in federated social media networks, such as Mastodon and Bluesky. He is an active member of the Complex Systems Society and has contributed to numerous research projects across Pakistan, Italy, and the UK.
Abstract: The growing ideological divide in public discourse has received significant attention in recent years. However, much of this research has focused on Western democratic countries, leaving other regions less explored. In this study, we look at Pakistan’s political landscape, a country known for its complex political environment. Using Twitter (X) data from 2018 to 2022, we track important changes and events in Pakistan’s political arena. By examining interactions and content generated by politicians affiliated with major political parties, we reveal a consistent and active presence of politicians on Twitter, with opposition parties exhibiting particularly robust engagement. We explore the alignment of party audiences, highlighting a notable convergence among opposition factions over time. Our analysis also uncovers significant shifts in political affiliations, including the transition of politicians to the opposition alliance. Quantitatively, we assess evolving interaction patterns, showcasing the prevalence of homophilic connections while identifying a growing interconnection among audiences of opposition parties. Our findings demonstrate that social media data can reliably capture political trends and help us better understand both large-scale patterns and individual shifts within the political landscape.
Bahria University, Johar Town, Lahore, Pakistan
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