Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s appeal to US President Donald Trump to extend the two-week deadline, previously mocked after an apparent ‘draft’ post was mistakenly published on X which sparked rumours it was scripted, now seems to be true.
The Donald Trump administration was aware of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s X post where he advocated the pause to allow diplomacy to progress. He also called on Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for the same period as a goodwill gesture.
“The White House had already seen and signed off on the statement before Mr. Sharif posted it,” New York Times said in its report.
White House Dismisses Report
A White House official dismissed speculation that President Trump authored the statement, which had sparked online chatter after Sharif’s post carried the header: “Draft – Pakistan’s PM Message on X“. The Pakistani Embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The move appeared to succeed, at least initially, with Trump announcing a two-week ceasefire with Iran just hours later.
And it underscored that the White House, even as Mr Trump issued stark threats to obliterate Iran’s civilisation unless Tehran reopened the Strait of Hormuz, was actively seeking an escape from the deepening crisis as Tuesday’s deadline approached.
What Was Written In Sharif’s ‘Draft Msg On X’
In the post, Sharif said, “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,” he added.
The episode has sparked debate online, with some questioning whether Pakistan’s diplomatic messaging is independently shaped or influenced by external actors.
