Yesterday, a tweet was issued from the US embassy handle of Islamabad, which is the official handle of US embassy in Pakistan. Its twitter account has 335k followers. The account retweeted a tweet from Ahsan Iqbal which read ‘We have one in Pakistan too. He will be shown way out soon. Insha Allah’. Ahsan Iqbal wrote this on the post he shared from The Washington Post, US’ leading newspaper; that read ‘Trump’s defeat is a blow for the world’s demagogues and dictators’.
https://twitter.com/SalmanView/status/1326411508092444676
Social media users protested at the US embassy tweet and asked for it to apologise and explain what happened. #ApologiseUSembassy started trending.
Highly irresponsible of whoever manages @usembislamabad to become a party in Pakistan’s internal matters. We are a sovereign nation no matter how our “woke” crowd shows dependence on POTUS. US Embassy must apologize over thus faux pas. #ApologiseUSembassy pic.twitter.com/QN5jcydo80
— Aamna Hassan Fasihi (@AamnaFasihi) November 11, 2020
The tweet was taken down a couple of hours later, however, it does raise the question as to why the US embassy of Pakistan retweeted it in the first place and what was the motive behind it? Was it a mistake or was it done intentionally to take a jab at Imran Khan?
On Wednesday 11, 2020 Imran Ismail, Governor of Sindh, shared a screen recording of US embassy’s twitter profile where Ahsan Iqbal’s tweet was retweeted, and wrote “This is utterly absurd, how can u @usembislamabad retweet against our PM @ImranKhanPTI containing derogatory remarks? This is against diplomatic protocols. An apology is needed with immediate clarification if fake or hacked. @ForeignOfficePk must take required action.”
This is utterly absurd, how can u @usembislamabad retweet against our PM @ImranKhanPTI containing derogatory remarks?This is against diplomatic protocols. An apology is needed with immediate clarification if fake or hacked. @ForeignOfficePk must take required action. pic.twitter.com/2BoVmrdVp8
— Imran Ismail (@ImranIsmailPTI) November 11, 2020
Hours after the tweet was taken down, US embassy Islamabad has issued an apology on their account that reads ‘Dear Followers: The U.S. Embassy Islamabad Twitter account was accessed last night without authorization. The U.S. Embassy does not endorse the posting or retweeting of political messages. We apologize for any confusion that may have resulted from the unauthorized post’
Dear Followers: The U.S. Embassy Islamabad Twitter account was accessed last night without authorization. The U.S. Embassy does not endorse the posting or retweeting of political messages. We apologize for any confusion that may have resulted from the unauthorized post.
— U.S. Embassy Islamabad (@usembislamabad) November 11, 2020
Social media users, however, are questioning whether the embassy’s claims are true. They are asking it to name and shame the person who had accessed their account last night. For some, it is difficult to grasp how an un-authorized person can access their account so easily.
Name and shame that person who did it.
Otherwise this explanation is not accepted.
How can an Un-authorized person can access your account??? is a big big question.
Name him to know if he is Pakistani Mafia worker? and if he is US citizen Than its a game from US embassy.— Loye Lala (@loyelala) November 11, 2020
Another prominent name in Pakistan’s politics, and the minster for human rights, Shireen Mazari is not satisfied with the US embassy Islamabad’s delayed apology. She expressed her dissatisfaction in a tweet that read ‘This not good enough esp after great delay! Account was clearly not hacked so someone who had access to it used it “without authorisation”. Unacceptable that someone working in US Embassy pushing a particular pol party’s agenda – has serious consequences incl staff visas scrutiny’.
This not good enough esp after great delay! Account was clearly not hacked so someone who had access to it used it "without authorisation". Unacceptable that someone working in US Embassy pushing a particular pol party's agenda – has serious consequences incl staff visas scrutiny https://t.co/IWqYtRjVna
— Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) November 11, 2020
Read more: PDM is upping the ante in its mission to overthrow Imran Khan’s government