Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took to X (formerly Twitter) to congratulate Donald Trump on his recent election win, despite the platform being banned in Pakistan. Trump was elected as the 47th president of the United States, securing 277 electoral votes to surpass the 270 threshold needed for victory.
In his message on X, PM Sharif stated, “I look forward to working closely with the incoming administration to further strengthen and broaden the Pakistan-US partnership.” A community note soon appeared, with netizens speculating that Sharif may have used a VPN to bypass the platform’s ban. However, Times Now Digital has not independently verified this claim.
Earlier this year, Pakistan’s government banned X, alleging that the platform had failed to address concerns about its misuse. The social media site was suspended in February following allegations by former Rawalpindi commissioner Liaquat Chattha, who accused the chief election commissioner and chief justice of rigging the February 8 elections.
The congratulatory post sparked online discussions, with one user commenting, “If hypocrisy had a human face, it would be Shehbaz Sharif.” Another user, tagging Elon Musk, wrote, “Mr. Trump, this joker using VPN to congratulate you… Btw, Elon Musk’s platform has been banned in Pakistan!”
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesperson, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, emphasized that Pakistan’s relationship with the US remains strong, stating, “Our relations with the United States are decades old, and we look forward to further strengthening and broadening the Pakistan-US relationship in all fields.” Baloch further noted that Trump’s return would not impact Pakistan’s ties with China, affirming that Pakistan’s relations with the US “remain unaffected by developments around the world.”
