Imran Khan, Maryam Nawaz and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. File

Tariq Butt, Correspondent

The blue ticks from the Twitter accounts of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Maryam Nawaz, Foreign Minister and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari have been removed by the organisation.

This was part of a drive that Twitter has begun for the mass removal of its blue ticks, as the symbol previously used to signify a verified account vanished from notable users.

Owner Elon Musk, who has seen his $44 billion investment in the site shrivel, earlier pledged to get rid of what he described as a “lords and peasants system”. He offered instead to sell the blue badge to anyone who would pay $8 a month, in a move he said last year would “democratise journalism and empower the voice of the people.”

Earlier dates set for the rollback of the ticks — predominately used by celebrities, journalists and politicians - have slipped by without noticeable action. But now high-profile accounts and others, appeared to have had the check marks removed.

Politicians and official bodies also appeared to have been hit, with Prime Minister’s Office handle also being one of the casualties. While ImranKhan Khan lost his blue check, his party’s official Twitter handle retained the check mark by paying $8.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s Twitter handle has been verified with a grey tick because it is a “government or multilateral organisation account.” Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb’s account has also been verified with a grey tick because of being associated with a government account.

Apart from the politicians and sports personalities, including skipper Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, cricketer-turned-commentator Wasim Akram Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee Chairman Najam Sethi were also some of the casualties.

Former finance minister Miftah Ismail, the official National Assembly handle, PTI leaders Hammad Azhar, Fawad Chaudhry, and Asad Qaiser are among those who have bought the blue badge by paying $8. Among celebrities, singer-turned-actor Ali Zafar has also subscribed to the blue tick.