Ctrl+C, Ctrl+Crisis: ‘Draft’ diplomacy? Shehbaz Sharif’s edited X post sparks row amid Iran war

A fresh controversy has erupted around Pakistan's PM Shehbaz Sharif after social media users flagged what appears to be an edited post on X, raising questions over how Pakistan is positioning itself in the Iran crisis. Sharif had urged Donald Trump to extend his deadline on Iran, calling for a diplomatic pause. “To allow diplomacy to run its course, I earnestly request President Trump to extend the deadline for two weeks,” Sharif wrote, also urging Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz “as a goodwill gesture.”

However, attention quickly shifted to the post’s edit history. Widely circulated screenshots appeared to show an earlier version labeled “Draft - Pakistan’s PM Message on X.” The apparent draft version also pushed for diplomatic progress in the Middle East conflict and called for extending measures linked to the Iran standoff. Its presence has triggered speculation over whether the message was pre-scripted. The development has fuelled online debate, with some questioning whether Pakistan’s diplomatic messaging is being independently crafted or influenced externally.

Also Read: 'Agree to suspend bombing of Iran for two weeks', says Trump; calls it 'double-sided ceasefire'

See the tweet below

One widely shared post claimed Sharif “seemingly forgot to remove what looks like a White House instruction,” pointing to the line “Draft - Pakistan’s PM Message on X” in the earlier version. Another user went further, alleging that “Donald Trump is controlling Pakistan” and that the message was a pre-prepared draft sent for posting, claims that remain unverified. The claims have not been independently confirmed, and there has been no official response from Islamabad or Washington on the matter.

Pakistan has positioned itself as a go-between in the ongoing crisis, relaying proposals between Washington and Tehran. However, no breakthrough has been announced so far. Sharif’s original message stressed that diplomatic efforts were “progressing steadily, strongly and powerfully,” and called for a pause in hostilities to “allow diplomacy to achieve conclusive termination of war.”

Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, the US, Gulf nations, and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos, and videos.