‘Wait for Me, Putin!’: Sharif’s SCO Moment Draws Attention, Pakistan PMO Crops Modi From Group Photo

Bishkek: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif found himself at the centre of two widely discussed moments during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

First, a video showing Sharif quickly moving towards Russian President Vladimir Putin after the official leaders' group photograph went viral online. The moment was soon followed by another controversy after Pakistan's Prime Minister's Office shared a cropped version of the SCO family photograph that excluded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several other leaders.

Sharif's ‘Wait for Me’ moment with Putin

A video from the SCO Summit showed Shehbaz Sharif moving quickly towards Putin after the leaders had assembled for the official photograph.

Sharif was seen approaching the Russian President and engaging him in conversation, with the visual quickly gaining attention on social media.

The interaction led to online descriptions such as “Wait for me, Putin!”, although that phrase appears to be a viral characterisation of the moment rather than an officially confirmed statement made by Sharif.

Pakistan PMO crops Modi from SCO photograph

Soon after, Pakistan's Prime Minister's Office triggered controversy by sharing a cropped version of the official SCO leaders' group photograph.

The image excluded Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and several other leaders from the original frame.

The cropped image prominently featured Shehbaz Sharif and gave the impression of placing him in a more central position in the photograph.

Modi shares full group photograph

In contrast, Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared the complete SCO group photograph showing all the leaders present.

The original image showed the full lineup of leaders at the Bishkek summit, including Shehbaz Sharif.

Reports noted that the unedited photograph showed Sharif standing fourth from the right, while the cropped version shared by Pakistan's PMO created a significantly different visual framing.

Backlash forces a course correction

The cropped photograph quickly attracted criticism and generated widespread discussion online.

Following the backlash, Shehbaz Sharif later shared the complete group photograph on his personal social media account, including Modi and the other leaders who had been excluded from the earlier cropped version.

The episode raised questions about the use of official summit photographs and the optics surrounding diplomatic events involving multiple world leaders.

SCO summit brings major leaders together

The SCO Summit in Bishkek brought together leaders from the organisation's member states, including Narendra Modi, Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Shehbaz Sharif and other regional leaders.

The summit featured discussions on regional cooperation, security, economic engagement and geopolitical developments.

Modi also held interactions with Putin during the summit, with India and Russia continuing discussions on bilateral relations and wider global issues.

Diplomatic optics become talking point

While international summits are primarily focused on formal diplomatic discussions, photographs, gestures and brief interactions between leaders often become major talking points.

Sharif's quick approach towards Putin and the subsequent controversy over the cropped group photograph ensured that Pakistan's diplomatic optics became one of the most discussed side stories from the SCO meeting.

The incident also highlighted how social media posts by official government accounts can rapidly become subjects of international attention.

For now, the two moments — Sharif's viral interaction with Putin and the Pakistan PMO's cropped SCO photograph — have added an unusual visual and political dimension to the 2026 SCO Summit in Bishkek.