Lakhs of Pakistanis and Indians like each other’s teams on Facebook, Twitter

WASHINGTON: A cricket match of any sort between the arch rivals Pakistan and India creates a special frenzy among the sport enthusiasts, bringing in the opportunity to express themselves in ways never thought before.

This time the social media took on a unique and special trend. Hundreds and thousands of followers of the two teams used Twitter and Facebook to show their support, not just towards their favourite teams but also to tone down the hate politics and promote peace.

"Something pretty interesting is happening in India and Pakistan on Facebook right now," commentedFacebook head Mark Zuckerberg. The Facebook has designed a special profile frame feature to help people show support for their teams during the 2016 ICC World Twenty20, but the story took a surprising turn. "Fans from India and Pakistan are doing something different. Hundreds of thousands of Indian cricket fans are putting the Pakistani frame around their picture. And Pakistani fans are doing the same thing -- showing support for India," Zuckerberg said. The fans are also using the hashtag #ProfilesForPeace.

The extremely popular social media website did not provide any numbers about how many Pakistanis or Indians have used the alternate profile frame. The automated mechanism revealed the trend to which Zukerberg said, "This story shows that the more connected we are, the more we realise that what unites us is more important than what divides us."

Thousand of Facebook users hailed the trend and posted their sentiments calling for peace and unity among the Indians and Pakistanis. Most of them suggested that the move could impact the politics in the region as well.