India
oi-Prakash KL
In a move that could give meme creators plenty of material, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s office has digitally edited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi out of a group photograph from the SCO meeting.
The official X (formerly Twitter) account of the Pakistan Prime Minister’s Office posted an edited version of the summit’s group photograph, with Modi removed from the image. The original photograph shows leaders including PM Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian standing together on stage.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s Office digitally edited PM Narendra Modi out of a group photograph from the SCO meeting posted on X, while India’s PM shared the complete original image and reiterated calls for zero tolerance towards terrorism.
While Sharif remained prominently visible alongside Putin and Xi in the edited image, PM Modi was missing. In contrast, the Indian Prime Minister shared the complete, unedited group photograph on his official X account with the caption, “From the SCO Summit in Bishkek.”
PM Modi had also briefly shaken hands with Putin and Xi while the leaders assembled for the photograph, with the moment captured on video and going viral on social media.
In another video, Sharif was seen following Putin immediately after the photo session ended.
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. pic.twitter.com/3lsruWHaYV
— Prime Ministers Office (@PakPMO) September 1, 2026
As Putin began walking away from the podium, footage showed Sharif quickly approaching the Russian president and reaching out to hold his hand before engaging him in a brief conversation.
Netizens dubbed the hurried exchange a “Wait for me?” moment, contrasting it with PM Modi’s interactions at the summit, where the Indian Prime Minister held scheduled bilateral talks with Putin and exchanged informal greetings with other leaders.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi reiterated India’s position that dialogue and diplomacy are the only way forward to resolve conflicts, while calling for zero tolerance towards terrorism.
Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif Rushes To Meet President Putin At SCO Summit In Bishkek…. And This Song Explains It All😂😂😂#SCOSUMMIT pic.twitter.com/Uv7HKzByeY
— First Post (@TrishulTactics) September 1, 2026
In a post on X, Modi said, “Addressed the SCO Summit in Bishkek. This Summit is special because we are marking 25 years since the start of SCO. Here are the points I’ve raised in the Summit: It’s time to look at the SCO agenda for the next 25 years. India’s position is clear…We must transform our shared geography into shared opportunities. We must work on the three pillars of Security, Connectivity and Opportunity.”
PM @narendramodi along with SCO leaders in Bishkek. pic.twitter.com/0VAUpFWpsz
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) September 1, 2026
PM Modi said the SCO’s vision should include fighting the menace of terrorism.
“We must dismantle the entire ecosystem of terrorist financing, recruitment, radicalisation and safe havens. Countries that use terrorism as an instrument of state policy and provide shelter and support to terrorists must receive a strong message that terrorism can never be a strategic asset,” he said.
