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Updated 23 Feb, 2017 08:48pm

Social media reacts to fake bomb rumours in Lahore

Twitter users expressed disappointment shortly after rumours of a second explosion in Lahore made the rounds on media outlets, creating an atmosphere of fear and panic on Thursday.

With chaos already at its peak due the first explosion in Lahore's DHA Block Y, reports of a second blast in the Gulberg area, nearly an hour after the first explosion, made rounds on all major media outlets.

The 'news' was taken off air soon after the Law Minister Rana Sanaullah put the rumours to rest after denying knowledge of any explosion in the Gulberg area and requested that panic should not be spread.

Soon after the denial, citizens in Lahore started tweeting about the fake news and asked people to remain calm.

Some even questioned the authenticity of the 'forwarded as received' SMSs that had been making rounds all over the country for the past couple of weeks.

These messages not only identified certain areas as 'unsafe' but also provided information regarding security forces' activities in the major cities of the country.

Questions regarding media's integrity

Angry users then took to Twitter to show their distaste towards the media's approach and raised questions about the absence of any measures taken to reprimand TV channels and media outlets for their negligent behaviour.

Defending the police

Like every other instance, there were some who decided to take this moment to bash the police force for 'playing with their lives' and asked that the police, "Handover Lahore's security to Army / Rangers"

But other Lahoris called them out for their insensitivity and praised the force for their commitment towards protecting the country.

Punjab government shuts down Aseefa Bhutto and Salman Ahmad

In a tweet laced with sarcasm, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's sister Aseefa Bhutto asked the Government of Punjab if it still stuck to its story about the explosion being a generator blast and received a befitting response:

In another example of the government's calm and cool response, when Salman Ahmad, musician and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's activist, tweeted saying "Intelligence reports say that shoot on sight orders in Lahore. Do not go out doors, keep your children safe. Lahore is a war zone.", the government's twitter account had this response ready:

Lastly, there was Talat Hussain, a journalist who chose to visit Gaddafi Stadium and take a pot-shot at the government, in spite of the government's efforts to keep rumours from spreading, "In Qaddafi stadium Lahore now. Life can be calm if Punjab govt gets its information act together. It is allowing rumours to spread."

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