Shehbaz Sharif trolled online: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif became the target of intense mockery and criticism after using a VPN to access X (formerly Twitter), which is banned in Pakistan. The PM posted a congratulatory message on November 6, 2024, after Donald Trump was elected for a second term as U.S. president. His message read:Congratulations to President-elect Donald Trump on his historic victory for a second term! I look forward to working closely with the incoming Administration to further strengthen and broaden the Pakistan-U.S. partnership. However, the post quickly drew attention for an unexpected reason: Sharifs use of a VPN (Virtual Private Network), which is illegal in Pakistan due to the governments ban on the platform.Community Note Exposes VPN UseThe controversial post was flagged by a community note on X, which highlighted that Sharif was accessing the platform through a VPN, something that violates Pakistani law. The note stated:PM Shehbaz Sharif has banned X (formerly Twitter) in Pakistan. He is using a VPN to access X, which is unlawful according to Pakistani law. This revelation led to widespread ridicule of the Pakistani leader, who was accused of hypocrisy for circumventing the laws that his own government had put in place.Congratulations to President-elect Donald Trump on his historic victory for a second term! I look forward to working closely with the incoming Administration to further strengthen and broaden the Pakistan-U.S. partnership. @realDonaldTrump— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) November 6, 2024Backlash from Pakistani Citizens and Global CriticismThe incident did not go unnoticed. Social media users were quick to point out the glaring contradiction in Sharifs actions. Many mocked the prime minister for using the same platform he had banned, with one user writing:Most corrupt and dictator puppet in history of Pakistan is congratulating Trump. Others also shared the community note underneath the post, calling attention to Sharifs disregard for his own countrys laws. One user remarked: Mr. Trump, this joker using VPN to congratulate you… Btw, Elon Musks platform has been banned in Pakistan!!!Governments Stance on Xs BanThe government of Pakistan had banned X earlier in 2024, citing national security concerns. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar had claimed that the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and other militant groups were using the platform to spread anti-national rhetoric and activities.Despite this, Shehbaz Sharifs use of a VPN to bypass the ban has led to a public relations nightmare. The backlash serves as a reminder of the growing discontent among the Pakistani public with the governments handling of free speech and access to global social media platforms.
