Pakistan PMO cropped Modi and four other leaders from an SCO photograph.
The edited frame conveniently placed Shehbaz Sharif closer to the centre.
Sharif later shared the complete photograph, restoring the omitted leaders.
Pakistan's Prime Minister’s Office cropped Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and four other leaders from an official group photograph taken at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Bishkek—an edit that conveniently moved Shehbaz Sharif closer to the centre of the frame, a desperate move to be the main character in the story.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian was also oddly left out, despite Pakistan’s role in ceasefire talks between Tehran and Washington.
“Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in a group photo with heads of States at the SCO Council of Heads of State Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on 1 September 2026,” the Pakistan PMO wrote while posting the cropped photograph on X.
The full image told a less flattering story. Shared by the Indian PMO, it showed all the participating leaders, with Sharif standing fourth from the right rather than at the centre.
Sharif later took the U-turn and posted the uncropped photograph on his own X account, restoring Modi and the other omitted leaders to the frame. The Pakistan PMO offered no explanation for its earlier creative framing.
The episode came amid diplomatic tensions between India and Pakistan at the summit. Modi used his address to call for “no double standards” in fighting terrorism and urged SCO members to dismantle the entire ecosystem supporting it, including financing, recruitment, radicalisation and safe havens.
Sharif, who was present during the remarks, highlighted Pakistan’s sacrifices in combating terrorism. He also raised the Indus Waters Treaty, saying that “water is the lifeblood of our region” and should not be weaponised.
Another uncomfortable visual followed the group photograph. As Russian President Vladimir Putin began walking away from the podium, Sharif was seen quickly approaching him and appearing to stop him for a conversation—a moment that drew attention across media reports.
The SCO marked 25 years since its establishment at the Bishkek summit. It began as the Shanghai Five, comprising China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. Uzbekistan joined when the grouping was formally established in 2001, followed by India and Pakistan in 2017, and later Iran and Belarus.
Modi said the SCO had built a “strong foundation” during its first 25 years and should now focus on tangible results. Pakistan’s PMO, meanwhile, appeared more focused on improving its position in the photograph.
