New Delhi: The Pakistan Prime Minister’s Workplace (PMO) cropped out Indian PM Narendra Modi and 4 different heads of member states from photographs it shared on X of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) chief’s summit in Bishkek.
Pakistan, relatively oddly, additionally omitted Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian regardless of enjoying a frontal function in ceasefire talks between Tehran and Washington, DC.
From Islamabad’s perspective, the one helpful consequence of the cropped photograph was that PM Shehbaz Sharif appeared to occupy the centre of the body. “Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in a bunch photograph with heads of States on the SCO Council of Heads of State Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on 1 September 2026,” the put up learn.
The Indian PMO, alternatively, posted the complete {photograph}, wherein Sharif could possibly be seen standing fourth from the fitting.
PM @narendramodi together with SCO leaders in Bishkek. pic.twitter.com/0VAUpFWpsz
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) September 1, 2026
Indians had been fast to level out the distinction.
“That’s undiplomatic and discourteous, Pakistan! 5 leaders of the SCO member States cropped out from the group photograph to place your Prime Minister within the center, to provide an impression of being a central determine. This coming from Prime Minister’s official deal with makes it a lot worse, embarrassing,” Indian journalist Zafar Chowdhury wrote on X.
That’s is undiplomatic and discourteous, Pakistan! 5 leaders of the SCO member States cropped out from the group photograph to place your Prime Minister within the center, to provide an impression of being a central determine. This coming from Prime Minister’s official deal with makes it… https://t.co/8ekb7UQskB pic.twitter.com/3JJ7bZ8FJL
— Zafar Choudhary (@ZafarChoudhary_) September 1, 2026
The social-media choreography got here as Modi delivered a pointed message on the SCO summit, warning international locations towards utilizing terrorism as an “instrument of state coverage”. He known as for the dismantling of terror financing, recruitment, radicalisation and protected havens. International locations that help terrorism have to be despatched a transparent message that terror can’t be handled as a strategic asset, he mentioned.
His speech got here at a time when Pakistan is ready to take over the SCO presidency from the Kyrgyz Republic, which implies that Islamabad will host the subsequent leaders’ summit.
India has repeatedly raised issues over cross-border terrorism originating from Pakistan. Tensions intensified after the April 2025 Pahalgam terror assault, when terrorists killed 26 individuals after singling them out by faith. India responded by launching Operation Sindoor and concentrating on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
New Delhi has but to state how prominently it intends to take part within the SCO with Pakistan on the helm of affairs. International Secretary-level officials have indicated that the choice will probably be taken by the “acceptable authorities on the acceptable time”.
The SCO, which marks 25 years since its founding, started because the Shanghai 5, bringing collectively China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. Uzbekistan joined when the grouping was formally established in 2001, adopted by India and Pakistan in 2017, and later Iran and Belarus.
In his remarks on the SCO leaders’ summit in Bishkek, Modi mentioned the organisation had constructed a “sturdy basis” over its first 25 years and will now deal with producing tangible outcomes.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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