Pakistan PM Shahbaz Sharif bypasses own X ban to congratulate Trump, users call out hypocrisy

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently extended his congratulations to Donald Trump after he won the 2024 United States presidential election via X, a social media platform banned in Pakistan.

In his message on X, Sharif said, “I look forward to working closely with the incoming administration to further strengthen and broaden the Pakistan-US partnership.”

Not long after his post appeared, a Community Note highlighted the irony, reminding users that the Pakistani government, led by Sharif, had officially banned X, previously known as Twitter, within the country.

The note stated, “Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has banned X (formerly Twitter) in Pakistan. He is using a VPN to access X, which is unlawful according to Pakistani law.”

Whether Sharif accessed X from within Pakistan using a VPN or posted from outside the country remains unclear.

Earlier in the year, Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, announced the platform’s ban, citing national security concerns. Tarar explained that members of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) had been using X to promote anti-national activities.

Despite the ban still being in place, Sharif’s post triggered a wave of criticism across social media.

One user commented, “If hypocrisy had a human face, it would be Shehbaz Sharif.”

Another user posted, “Check this out, people—Shameless & mandates thief @CMShehbaz is congratulating @realDonaldTrump via X after banning X for his own Pakistani nation—this is called true hypocrisy!”

One more response added, “The government has imposed a ban on Twitter in Pakistan, with reports suggesting that even ministers are accessing the platform using VPNs. It’s ironic for a government to restrict public access and yet bypass those same restrictions for themselves.”

(With inputs from agencies)