Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has an uncanny talent to humiliate himself and his country. While he was ostensibly mediating between the US and Iran to reach a ceasefire deal, Sharif made a juvenile mistake while posting a message on his X handle.
The mistake is related to the edit history of the Pakistan PM’s social media post. Before the US President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire, Sharif had appealed for diplomatic efforts to end the war. However, users quickly noticed an apparent earlier version of his message containing the phrase “Draft – Pakistan’s PM Message on X.”
Critics question whether the Pakistan PM was instructed by the US on what to post on X.
Shehbaz Sharif’s Stupid Mistake: Edit History Reveals ‘Draft’ Label
In the post shared on April 8, Sharif urged all sides involved in the conflict to pursue diplomacy and temporarily halt hostilities.
“Diplomatic efforts for peaceful settlement of the ongoing war in the Middle East are progressing steadily, strongly and powerfully with the potential to lead to substantive results in near future. To allow diplomacy to run its course, I earnestly request President Trump to extend the deadline for two weeks. Pakistan, in all sincerity, requests the Iranian brothers to open Strait of Hormuz for a corresponding period of two weeks as a goodwill gesture. We also urge all warring parties to observe a ceasefire everywhere for two weeks to allow diplomacy to achieve conclusive termination of war, in the interest of long-term peace and stability in the region,” Sharif wrote on X.
Diplomatic efforts for peaceful settlement of the ongoing war in the Middle East are progressing steadily, strongly and powerfully with the potential to lead to substantive results in near future. To allow diplomacy to run its course, I earnestly request President Trump to extend…
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) April 7, 2026
However, the situation quickly turned controversial when users examined the post’s edit history.
According to the history visible on the platform, what appears to be an earlier version of the tweet included an additional line: “Draft – Pakistan’s PM Message on X.” The earlier version is timestamped one minute before the currently visible post on Sharif’s profile.
Screenshots of the earlier version rapidly circulated online, with many claiming it represented the “original” version of the message before it was edited.
Social Media Questions Origin of Shehbaz Sharif’s Message
The appearance of the word “Draft” in what should have been an official communication triggered speculation across social media platforms.
Some users questioned whether the message had been prepared externally or shared with Sharif’s office as a template before being posted. The phrasing “Pakistan’s PM” in the draft also raised eyebrows, with critics arguing that staff working for the prime minister would typically refer to him simply as “prime minister.”
As the screenshots spread, many users began debating whether the message had been independently written by Pakistan’s leadership or influenced by outside actors.
Journalist Ryan Grim also weighed in on the controversy, sharing his reaction on X.
“Oh, this is unbelievable. The edit history on this tweet shows that Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif originally copied and pasted everything he was sent, including:
‘Draft – Pakistan’s PM Message on X’
Now, obviously, Sharif’s own staff don’t call him ‘Pakistan’s PM,’ they would just call him prime minister. The U.S. and Israel, of course, would call him ‘Pakistan’s PM.’
Oh, this is unbelievable. The edit history on this tweet shows that Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif originally copied and pasted everything he was sent, including:
“*Draft – Pakistan’s PM Message on X*”
Now, obviously, Sharif’s own staff don’t call him “Pakistan’s PM,”… https://t.co/q0ls8pK0qd pic.twitter.com/lm2vSEElkb
— Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) April 7, 2026
Would be funny if the fate of the world wasn’t hanging in the balance.”
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
