Tianjin: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visible camaraderie with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit has sparked global attention and left Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif looking conspicuously sidelined.
Images and video footage from the summit in Tianjin captured the Indian leader sharing warm words and laughter with Xi and Putin just before the plenary session, with Sharif appearing on the periphery, watching on with a noticeably stern expression. The viral clip has been widely interpreted as a diplomatic snub, especially given the frosty state of India-Pakistan relations.
The sense of isolation for Pakistan’s premier was reinforced earlier in the day during the traditional “family photo” of world leaders. Modi stood several places away from Sharif, flanked instead by key strategic partners, underscoring India’s central place in the geopolitical balance at the summit.
Prime Minister Modi later posted photographs of his interactions with Xi and Putin on social media, describing the meetings as “exchanging perspectives” and calling his conversation with the Russian president “always a delight.” The public messaging highlighted India’s comfort and confidence in engaging with both Beijing and Moscow simultaneously, even as global trade tensions with Washington led by U.S. President Donald Trump continue to loom large.
The backdrop to these visuals is a turbulent one. India and Pakistan remain on edge following the April terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, carried out by The Resistance Front, a group linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba. The massacre of 26 civilians drew global condemnation, with New Delhi squarely blaming Islamabad for fostering terrorism. Modi used the summit platform to reiterate India’s stand against cross-border terrorism, a point aimed directly at Pakistan.
Sharif’s visible discomfort also reflects the shifting dynamics of Pakistan’s own foreign policy. In the wake of heightened hostilities with India, Islamabad has sought closer alignment with Washington, even crediting U.S. President Trump for helping broker a ceasefire earlier this year. India, however, has firmly dismissed this version, insisting that the truce came after Pakistan’s military leadership directly reached out to their Indian counterparts.
For observers, the images from Tianjin symbolized more than just optics. They underscored India’s growing role as a key player at the Eurasian forum, Pakistan’s diplomatic isolation on issues of terrorism, and the delicate balance of power shaping Asia’s security landscape.