• Source:JND
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A brief but widely discussed moment unfolded on Monday during the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, when Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was caught on camera rolling his eyes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin walked past him. The incident occurred on the sidelines of the ceremonial proceedings, where leaders of SCO member states had gathered before the formal sessions. A brief video clip of the incident, which is currently trending on social media, captures Modi and Putin walking alongside each other and chatting while Sharif, who was standing nearby, watched and then turned away with apparent discomfort.

The trending video captures Modi and Putin strolling side by side, discussing and laughing, as they walked past Sharif. The social media users were quick to notice the Pakistani leader's response and, in his reaction, saw an expression of discomfort. PM Modi and President Putin also shared a warm moment on the second day of the summit, exchanging a hug before their official talks. Modi, Putin, and Xi were later seen together posing for a photo in a spontaneous moment of friendly chat, indicating trilateral interaction on the event's sidelines.

Sharif Hurries To Shake Hands With Putin, Video Goes Viral

Adding to the buzz, another video from the official SCO "family photo" session had Shehbaz Sharif breaking formation to rush over and offer a hasty handshake to President Putin. Though Putin had already proceeded, he turned around momentarily to accept Sharif's gesture before proceeding with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Social media responses were sharp. One posted, "While other leaders maintained poise, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif rushed over to Putin to greet him, pathetic attention-seeking behavior." Another posted, "Xi Jinping saw what Sharif was going to do so he averted his eyes."

This is not the first that Sharif has made online headlines at an SCO summit. In 2022, while attending a bilateral meeting with Putin in Uzbekistan, Sharif was observed awkwardly struggling with a translation headset, causing laughter from the Russian president and staff present. The clip went viral then as well, cementing impressions of Sharif's gawky presence at high-level diplomatic forums.

Summit Highlights

The Tianjin summit, which China is hosting, is being called the biggest SCO meeting to date, featuring heads of state from all 10 member nations, two observers, and 14 dialogue partners. More than 20 foreign leaders and 10 international organisations, including the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, were invited to the summit.

ALSO READ: Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif Trolled For Rushing To Greet Putin At SCO Summit, Netizens Call It 'Shameless' | Viral Video

In the inaugural Remarks on Sunday, Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasised the SCO's "greater responsibility" to protect regional peace and stability, and asked member states to strengthen cooperation to fight global challenges. Xi stressed that member states had "steadily promoted law enforcement and security cooperation, properly managed and settled differences, unequivocally opposed external interference, and maintained peace and stability in the region."

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He further stressed the importance of the Belt and Road initiative, calling it the first of its kind in fostering connectivity. “We always stand on the side of international fairness and justice, champion inclusiveness and mutual learning between civilizations, and oppose hegemonism and power politics,” Xi said, setting the tone for the SCO’s deliberations.