ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s new Arabic language Twitter handle, @ShehbazAr, “temporarily” suspended on Tuesday while the social media platform verified it, was now back online, an adviser to the premier on digital media said.
Pakistan has close ties with many Arab nations, especially Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Around three million Pakistani expats live and work in Saudi Arabia, and are the largest source of remittances to the South Asian nation. The UAE is also the second largest labor market for Pakistan workers.
“Prime Minister’s Arabic account @ShehbazAr is back online. Sorry for the inconvenience and thanks for showing your concern. You can follow for latest updates,” Abubakar Umer, Sharif’s focal person on digital media, wrote on Twitter.
Earlier on Tuesday, Umer had told Arab News the suspension was temporary and due to a “verification issue.”
“Twitter needs an ID to complete its verification process. It will be provided shortly,” he said.
The Arabic Twitter account, whose first tweet was posted on June 6, aims to promote the prime minister’s activities, particularly those related to religion, culture and Pakistan’s Kashmir dispute with neighboring India.
“The prime minister himself speaks Arabic fluently, so he has a personal interest in the language and the people who speak this language,” Umer said.
Language, he said, was the biggest barrier in enhancing people to people contact with Arab countries and the new handle would prove a “good start” to address the issue.
Umer said the handle had been launched after consultation with embassies in Arab countries, and would help address ‘propaganda’ against Pakistan in the Arabic language on social media platforms.
“We will be addressing it [propaganda] in the same language,” he said, adding that the account could also help Pakistan solicit support from millions of Arabic speaking people on important issues like the Kashmir dispute.
He said almost all leaders in western countries had Arabic language social media accounts to stay connected with people in the Middle East.