Did Italy PM Giorgia Meloni Praise Shehbaz Sharif?
Published On 04 May, 2026
Claim
A viral video on social media claims that Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni praised Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and said that Pakistan could have become a superpower if he had come to power earlier.
The video caption also mentions former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Reality Check
This claim is false.
What Actually Happened?
- The viral clip is from April 14, 2026, when Giorgia Meloni was speaking to reporters during a public event in Verona, Italy.
- She was responding to a question about Donald Trump.
- Specifically, the discussion was about Trump’s criticism of Pope Leo XIV.
Important:
- Meloni did NOT mention Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif, or Imran Khan at all.
- The viral video has been misleadingly edited or captioned.
Why This Went Viral
- Short clips with fake subtitles or captions spread quickly.
- Political content involving Pakistan gets high engagement.
- Many users did not verify the original source.
Verification Findings
- Reverse image search traced the video to a real media interaction in Italy.
- No credible international or local news outlet reported such a statement.
- Original footage confirms the topic was Trump vs Pope controversy, not Pakistan.
Final Verdict
False Claim
The viral video misrepresents Giorgia Meloni’s statement.
She never praised Shehbaz Sharif nor made any comment about Imran Khan.
