Did Shehbaz Sharif really congratulate Pakan for winning Asia Cup? Truth behind viral screenshot

Team India’s emphatic victory over Pakan turned social media into a carnival for celebrations, as everyone from Prime Miner Narendra Modi to millions of cricket fans congratulated the Suryakumar-led squad for their brilliant showing on the field. India dominated with a five-wicket victory over arch rival Pakan in Sunday’s final with only two balls remaining. Team India celebrates after winning the Asia Cup cricket final against Pakan at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, United Arab Emirates, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP/PTI)(AP09_29_2025_000071A)(AP) Even as India celebrated its win, a fake post falsely attributed to Pakan PM Shehbaz Sharif circulated online, claiming he congratulated Pakan for winning the Asia Cup. What the post readA screenshot of the post falsely attributed to Pakan PM Shehbaz Sharif showed him congratulating Pakan for the win. “Congratulations Pakan, we won the Asia Cup,” the post said. “Pakan won all three matches against India. Our fast bowlers were like our missiles, and our batters were like our air defense,” the post continued. According to the fake screenshot, Pakan PM Shehbaz Sharif further claimed that the televised matches were incorrect and he would bring up the issue with ICC. “This victory’s credit goes to Pakan Army Chief, Syed Asim Munir, because a year ago the Pakan Army trained the cricket team. “I also spoke to the PCB Chairman he will raise the issue with the ICC about showing fake matches on TV. But trust our Army and our players we truly won!” he apparently wrote. Take a look at the screenshot below: The screenshot has gone viral with over 6 lakh views in a matter of hours. It was posted on X an account @LogicLitLatte. Is the screenshot real?No, the screenshot is not real. In reality, Sharif has not posted anything on Pakan winning the Asia Cup. The post being attributed to him is entirely fabricated. Many people in the comments section pointed out that the post is fake. Grok, the AI chatbot developed Elon Musk’s xAI, also confirmed that it is not authentic. Asked to verify the screenshot, Grok replied, “The screenshot appears to be fabricated. No such tweet exs from Pakan PM Shehbaz Sharif’s account (CMShehbaz) or the official PMO (PakPMO). India won the Asia Cup 2025 final against Pakan 5 wickets, as confirmed multiple sources like ESPNcricinfo and NDTV.” More about India vs PakanThis was the first India-Pakan final in Asia Cup hory, which started in 1984. The two sides had already met twice earlier in this tournament – in group play and Super Four — both won comfortably India. India’s cricketers refused to shake hands with Pakan after both those games and there were no handshakes at Sunday’s toss or at the end of the game.