JournalismPakistan.com | Published 10 months ago | JP Staff Report
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ISLAMABAD—Veteran journalist Nusrat Javeed on Sunday suggested that Richard Grenell, former US official and aide to President-elect Donald Trump, may not be the person behind a series of controversial tweets. Instead, he speculated that the account could be a bot operated by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Javeed sought assistance from tech-savvy friends, stating, "I seriously feel that PTI has set up a bot actively responding and driving trends to show alignment between the incoming US administration and PTI."
Grenell, who recently gained attention in Pakistan for his vocal support of former Prime Minister Imran Khan and sharp criticism of local journalists, has been involved in heated online exchanges with figures such as Nusrat Javeed, Waseem Badami, and Najam Sethi.
Javeed raised concerns over Grenell's motives and potential financial interests, referencing alleged accusations of influence peddling documented in GORK-2 reports. In response, Grenell accused Javeed of spreading fake news, calling him a "fraud who pushes lies to get on television."
On Sunday, however, Javeed doubled down on his theory, suggesting that the X account bearing Grenell's name could be impersonating him. He tweeted, "The alleged bot is using the name of @RichardGrenell, with or without his consent."
The claim drew mixed reactions on X. Some users ridiculed the veteran journalist, suggesting he needed mental health support, while others humorously questioned whether Grenell was impersonating himself. One user wrote, "It appears that @RichardGrenell is impersonating himself as Richard Grenell, which is very alarming."
Despite the backlash, Javeed maintained his stance, even after being informed that Grenell had openly called for Imran Khan's release during a TV interview. His tweet read, "I am not talking about him per se, but the bot using the ID of @RichardGrenell, with or without his consent."
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