- Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif posted a "draft" message on X about Middle East peace efforts
- The post initially included "Draft - Pakistan's PM Message on X". It was later edited
- Sharif urged a two-week ceasefire and requested Iran to open Strait of Hormuz as goodwill
A late-night post on X by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on efforts to stop the war in the Middle East has gone viral, with many users pointing out a "draft" word written on its initial version.
Sharif, who has acted as a mediator in the war, had initially posted "Draft - Pakistan's PM Message on X" with his message on Wednesday.
"*Draft - Pakistan's PM Message 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 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," he wrote and tagged US President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Iran's Masoud Pezeshkian and other leaders.
However, he quickly edited the post and dropped "Draft - Pakistan's PM Message on X" from his message, triggering speculation that the post was likely not written by his staff and could have been written either by the US or Israel.
His older post is still visible under the "edited" section.
Many users then questioned Sharif.
"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 US and Israel, of course, would call him "Pakistan's PM"," Ryan Grim, an American author and journalist, wrote on X.
US-Iran Ceasefire
Hours after Shehbaz Sharif's appeal, Donald Trump announced that the US and Iran have agreed to a two-week ceasefire.
Trump, who had warned Iran to sign a peace deal by 5:30 am (IST) Wednesday, said he decided to suspend "bombing" of Iran after speaking to Shehbaz Sharif and Pakistani Army Chief Asim Munir, who had requested a truce.
After Trump, Sharif also took to his X account and said he was "pleased to announce that the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, along with their allies, have agreed to an immediate ceasefire everywhere including Lebanon and elsewhere, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY."
"I warmly welcome the sagacious gesture and extend deepest gratitude to the leadership of both the countries and invite their delegations to Islamabad on Friday, 10th April 2026, to further negotiate for a conclusive agreement to settle all disputes. Both parties have displayed remarkable wisdom and understanding and have remained constructively engaged in furthering the cause of peace and stability. We earnestly hope, that the 'Islamabad Talks' succeed in achieving sustainable peace and wish to share more good news in coming days," he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, differed from Shehbaz Sharif and said the ceasefire does not include Lebanon, which was pulled into the Middle East war on March 2 when Iran-backed Hezbollah fired rockets towards Israeli cities to avenge the killing of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
