Pakistan PMO’s move to crop Prime Minister Narendra Modi out of an SCO group photograph has drawn sharp reactions in India, with politicians calling the move “extremely unfortunate” for a PM who “can remove Islamabad from world picture” if he wishes to.
“Today, I was honoured to address the SCO Council of Heads of State Meeting in Bishkek as Pakistan assumed the SCO Chairmanship for 2027. “I would also say that such an act of removing a photograph cannot erase Prime Minister Modi from the hearts of 140 crore Indians. Because you have to look at it carefully, that censorship of the photograph is the height of pomposity.
Terrorism must be condemned in all its forms and manifestations, he stated. Pakistan has always attempted such things. However, I would say that while they may have removed Modi Ji’s photograph, if Modi Ji wants, he can remove Pakistan from the world picture. In fact, Prime Minister Modi remains one of the most popular leaders in the world…,” ANI news agency quoted him as saying. Not only has our PM Modi been removed from the picture as if he wasn’t there, but the Pakistan PM has been put at the centre of the photo while China’s President Xi Jinping has been put on the margin.
“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 Pakistan PMO said in the post on Tuesday. I congratulated the Kyrgyz Republic on successfully hosting the Summit and steering the Organization with distinction,” Sharif said in his post, recalling his country’s “immense sacrifices in the fight against terrorism”. Reacting to the Pakistan PMO photograph, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde said, “What Pakistan has done is extremely unfortunate. Shinde also invoked Operation Sindoor and said Pakistan should not attempt to “play such games” with India. Akbar said, “This is how Pakistan converts itself into the laughing stock at every international conference. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday at the 26th SCO Summit that the West Asia conflict must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, urging member states to shun “ double standards ” while unitedly countering the challenge of terrorism.
The X post by Pakistan Prime Minister’s Office handle of world leaders at the SCO Summit in Kyrgyzstan’s Bishkek drew attention on Tuesday as the image, which was cropped on both sides, left out PM Narendra Modi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and several leaders.
