Following the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, the Pakistan Prime Minister’s Office faced online criticism for cropping out Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi from an official group photograph, while Indian leadership shared the full, unedited image.
Social Media Backlash Over Digital Photo Editing
The digital team for Pakistan’s leadership found itself at the center of social media scrutiny following the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) gathering. A leaders’ group photograph shared by the Pakistan Prime Minister’s Office removed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several other officials from the frame. Observers on social platforms noted that the framing adjustments made it appear as though Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif occupied a central position in the image.
The altered photo omitted multiple world leaders, including Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. In contrast, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared the original photograph depicting Sharif standing fourth from the right. Government accounts from Pakistan also reportedly removed the Indian leader from a circulating video recording of the summit’s roundtable discussions.
Public Reactions to the Cropped Imagery
Social media users heavily criticized the move.
One user stated that the Pakistan Prime Minister had cropped the image to exclude Prime Minister Modi, while Prime Minister Modi shared the complete picture, describing it as a typical Pakistani mindset. Another user on X remarked that it was hard to imagine assuming the SCO presidency and making a terrible crop job the very first foreign policy move, adding that the Pakistan PMO digital team was so desperate to put Shehbaz Sharif in the center that they edited out five world leaders.
Impromptu Encounters on the Ground in Bishkek
Beyond the digital image adjustments, events on the ground in Bishkek drew additional attention. Visual documentation recorded by attendees captured an impromptu interaction immediately after the formal group photography session concluded on Tuesday, September 1, 2026. Footage showed Pakistan’s prime minister moving quickly toward Russian President Vladimir Putin as the latter walked away from the podium area.
The recorded sequences showed Sharif reaching out to halt Putin’s departure. These physical interactions quickly circulated across digital platforms alongside the cropped photo controversy, creating additional talking points regarding diplomatic optics during the regional summit.
Preparing for the 2027 SCO Presidency and Putin’s Visit
Amid the immediate reactions to the Bishkek gathering, longer-term diplomatic preparations are already underway for upcoming meetings. Pakistan is set to assume the chairmanship of the regional organization, laying the groundwork for subsequent high-level gatherings.
Preparations for the following year’s calendar have already begun through official diplomatic channels. Pakistani Ambassador to Moscow Faisal Niaz Tirmizi confirmed in Moscow that the country is looking forward to a visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin during the organization’s heads of state summit scheduled for 2027.
Tirmizi noted that Pakistan would assume the chairmanship of the SCO that year, that the SCO heads of state summit would be held the following year, and that they were especially looking forward to Mr. Putin’s visit to Pakistan, adding that there had already been bilateral visits and that they were working together in a wide range of areas.
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