New Delhi: The Pakistan Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) cropped out Indian PM Narendra Modi and four other heads of member states from photos it shared on X of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) leader’s summit in Bishkek.
Pakistan, rather oddly, also omitted Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian despite playing a frontal role in ceasefire talks between Tehran and Washington, DC.
From Islamabad’s perspective, the only useful consequence of the cropped photo was that PM Shehbaz Sharif appeared to occupy the centre of the frame. “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,” the post read.
The Indian PMO, on the other hand, posted the full photograph, in which Sharif could be seen standing fourth from the right.
PM @narendramodi along with SCO leaders in Bishkek. pic.twitter.com/0VAUpFWpsz
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) September 1, 2026
Indians were quick to point out the difference.
“That’s undiplomatic and discourteous, Pakistan! Five leaders of the SCO member States cropped out from the group photo to position your Prime Minister in the middle, to give an impression of being a central figure. This coming from Prime Minister’s official handle makes it much worse, embarrassing,” Indian journalist Zafar Chowdhury wrote on X.
That’s is undiplomatic and discourteous, Pakistan! Five leaders of the SCO member States cropped out from the group photo to position your Prime Minister in the middle, to give an impression of being a central figure. This coming from Prime Minister’s official handle makes it… https://t.co/8ekb7UQskB pic.twitter.com/3JJ7bZ8FJL
— Zafar Choudhary (@ZafarChoudhary_) September 1, 2026
The social-media choreography came as Modi delivered a pointed message at the SCO summit, warning countries against using terrorism as an “instrument of state policy”. He called for the dismantling of terror financing, recruitment, radicalisation and safe havens. Countries that support terrorism must be sent a clear message that terror cannot be treated as a strategic asset, he said.
His speech came at a time when Pakistan is set to take over the SCO presidency from the Kyrgyz Republic, which means that Islamabad will host the next leaders’ summit.
India has repeatedly raised concerns over cross-border terrorism originating from Pakistan. Tensions intensified after the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, when terrorists killed 26 people after singling them out by religion. India responded by launching Operation Sindoor and targeting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
New Delhi has yet to state how prominently it intends to participate in the SCO with Pakistan at the helm of affairs. Foreign Secretary-level officials have indicated that the decision will be taken by the “appropriate authorities at the appropriate time”.
The SCO, which marks 25 years since its founding, began as the Shanghai Five, bringing together China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. Uzbekistan joined when the grouping was formally established in 2001, followed by India and Pakistan in 2017, and later Iran and Belarus.
In his remarks at the SCO leaders’ summit in Bishkek, Modi said the organisation had built a “strong foundation” over its first 25 years and should now focus on producing tangible results.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
Lol the amount of gymnastics they need to do to make themselves look relevant is amazing