Pakistan Denies X Post Pleading for Loans, Claims Account Was Hacked Amid Economic Struggles

Pakistan’s government rejected a recent social media post that asked for international loans, calling it fake and blaming hackers for the message. The post appeared on the official X (formerly Twitter) account of Pakistan’s Ministry of Finance. It claimed that Pakistan was suffering major economic losses and urgently needed help from lenders.

Soon after the post went viral, officials in Islamabad took it down and issued a strong denial. They said someone hacked into the account and published the message without permission. The government launched an investigation and promised to find the people behind the cyberattack.

“The Finance Ministry’s official account was hacked,” said a spokesperson. “We did not post any such message. Our team is working with cybersecurity experts to trace the source of the attack.”

The deleted post had created confusion and concern, both inside and outside Pakistan. It made it seem like Pakistan was openly begging for money on a public platform, which would have damaged the country’s reputation among investors and foreign allies. Economic analysts said such a message, if true, could have weakened Pakistan’s currency and scared away lenders.

In recent months, Pakistan has struggled with rising inflation, a weak currency, and pressure from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to reform its economy. However, officials say they are managing the crisis and negotiating carefully with global partners.

Experts believe that the fake post may have aimed to embarrass the government or shake investor confidence. Cybersecurity threats have increased across the region, and governments now face more pressure to protect official accounts from similar attacks.

The Finance Ministry said it will share updates on the investigation and take steps to improve online security. In the meantime, officials asked the public to ignore any unofficial posts and rely only on verified news.