A fleeting corridor clip from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit has triggered a storm back home in Pakistan. The viral footage shows Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin walking past Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif while engaged in a deep conversation, leaving him standing momentarily aside. The visuals sparked chatter online that Sharif was being “sidelined” at the high-profile gathering.
Pakistan’s General Manager Shehbaz Sharif gets reduced to background decoration as PM Modi and President Putin stroll past him at the SCO summit.
Or maybe he bought front-row tickets to watch them walk? pic.twitter.com/y4DhwWCjfP
— Sonam Mahajan (@AsYouNotWish) September 1, 2025
While the optics were harsh, Sharif did manage important bilateral engagements. He met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, where the Chinese leader once again pressed Islamabad to ensure tighter security for Chinese nationals and projects under the Belt and Road Initiative. The demand comes in the backdrop of repeated terror attacks targeting Chinese workers in Pakistan, which continue to strain the partnership.
Sharif also held talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, pledging stronger cooperation on trade and connectivity. However, these meetings received limited international coverage compared to the viral clip that dominated headlines and social media.
Inside the summit hall, Prime Minister Modi sharpened the regional narrative by calling out countries that adopt a “duplicitous” approach to terrorism—a thinly veiled reference to Pakistan. The SCO declaration also condemned the recent Pahalgam terror attack, underscoring the call for accountability of state sponsors, further narrowing Pakistan’s diplomatic space.
Sharif, in his address, invoked the Indus Waters Treaty, urging respect for agreements and dialogue to resolve disputes—an indirect message aimed at India. Meanwhile, the presence of Pakistan’s Army Chief Gen. Asim Munir during the Xi–Sharif meeting raised eyebrows, seen as a reminder of the military’s central role in shaping Islamabad’s China policy.
Though, at Tianjin, the Pakistani premier endured bruising optics and difficult talking points. While meetings with China and Iran kept Pakistan from being completely isolated, the viral “walk-past” moment and repeated calls to rein in terror groups highlighted the challenges Islamabad faces on the multilateral stage.
