Prime Minister (PM) Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif met with Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev on Thursday during a two-day official visit. During the meeting, he had an informal conversation with the president in Russian language, which left many shocked.

Earlier, when the Premier’s videos of conversing in other languages went viral, The Current reached out to Prime Minister (PM) Focal Person on Digital Media, Muhammad Abubakar Umer, to confirm exactly how many languages the premier can speak.

He said that the premier is fluent in German, Arabic and English along with Punjabi and Urdu. According to him, PM Shehbaz can speak basic level Turkish, Chinese, Russian, Pashtu and Sindhi.

The focal person revealed that PM Shehbaz learned Arabic formally while in exile during former President General Pervez Musharraf’s era. To our surprise, we also got to know that the premier holds a diploma in Arabic.

According to Abubakar, PM Shehbaz knows a total of ten languages.

“He learned Chinese and Turkish during his tenure as Chief Minister (CM) Punjab from 2013 to 2018 as at the time he had to engage with Chinese and Turkish officials for China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC),” said Abubakar.

He learned German and Russian during the 1970s and 80s for his business dealings. “At the time, he was not in government”, said Abubakar.
Abubakar also revealed that before going to any foreign country, PM Shehbaz hires an instructor who informs him about the cultural aspects of the country, how people greet each other and what social norms are appreciated there.