Pakistan Faces Major Embarrassment: Shehbaz Waits 40 Minutes for Putin, Escorted Out After Forcing Entry into Meeting
Ashgabat (The Uttam Hindu): Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif once again faced embarrassment on the international stage during his visit to Turkmenistan. The incident occurred at the ‘International Forum for Peace and Trust’, where what happened with the Pakistani Prime Minister has now drawn global attention. Reports suggest that Shehbaz Sharif had to wait alone for nearly 40 minutes to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. When the wait became too long, he reportedly broke protocol and attempted to enter a meeting already in progress between Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
According to the sequence of events, Shehbaz Sharif was waiting for the Russian President in a large hall decorated with the flags of Russia and Pakistan. However, Putin’s chair remained empty. Visuals showed the Pakistani Prime Minister sitting for nearly 40 minutes, appearing visibly uncomfortable and bored. After prolonged waiting, he briefly spoke to his staff, stood up, bypassed the security cordon, and entered an adjacent hall. Moments later, security personnel escorted him out. At the time, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan were seen engaged in a serious discussion inside the room.
A video of the incident went viral on social media, leading to widespread criticism and embarrassment for Pakistan. RT India had also shared the video, which showed Shehbaz Sharif interrupting the meeting and being escorted out. However, the channel later deleted the clip, stating that it may have misrepresented the sequence of events. Meanwhile, Pakistani media claimed that Prime Minister Sharif held successful bilateral meetings with Putin, Erdoğan, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Diplomatic observers have described the incident as a significant setback for Pakistan. Experts believe that Putin’s apparent indifference reflects Russia’s growing closeness with India and a cooling approach toward Pakistan. Earlier as well, during an SCO summit, Putin was seen ignoring Shehbaz Sharif. Pakistan’s diplomatic embarrassment has not been limited to this incident alone, as a recent episode in London involving police checking the vehicle of Pakistan’s Interior Minister also raised questions about the country’s declining global standing. Images from Turkmenistan have now become a topic of discussion in international diplomatic circles.