Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was scheduled to hold a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, December 12, on the sidelines of an international forum in Turkmenistan to mark the 30th anniversary of the country’s permanent neutrality.
A video released by RT India shows Sharif inadvertently walking into a private meeting between Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan after his own planned bilateral meeting with the Russian leader was postponed.
A visibly impatient Sharif, who had been waiting for about 40 minutes in a nearby room with Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, eventually made his way into the hall where Putin and Erdoğan were debating, hoping to exchange at least a few words. He said he left the room after about 10 minutes.
“Moment PM Sharif gate crashes Putin’s meeting with Erdogan after waiting 40 minutes,” read the headline.
Another video from RT India shows Sharif, still looking uneasy, sitting next to an empty chair marked with a Russian flag. A visibly frustrated Pakistani prime minister and his delegation sat tensely, their impatience evident as they awaited Putin’s arrival.
Sharif’s misstep was quick and short-lived, a calculated gate collapse, a last-minute attempt to assert his presence after being dismissed. In about ten minutes, the Prime Minister of Pakistan slipped out as suddenly as he had entered.
Netizens react
One of the social media users said, “After waiting for 40 minutes, even the Zomat delivery man gives up. Sharif still hasn’t done it.” Another commented: “I ignored him like a traffic signal ka bhikhari (beggar). “Beggars can’t choose,” commented a third. Another user X said: “From ‘please meet me’ to ‘please leave’ Shehbaz experienced everything in 10 minutes.”
“Gate closing at the global level… Pakistan’s foreign policy has just been redefined”, “How does anyone take him seriously?” some other comments were raised.
Limited ceasefire in Ukraine-Russia war could be beneficial: Erdoğan to Putin
Meanwhile, Erdoğan informed Putin on Friday that a limited ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, aimed specifically at protecting energy infrastructure and ports, could be beneficial, according to a statement from Erdoğan’s office, Reuters reported.
The statement said that during the talks in Turkmenistan, the two leaders reviewed wider peace initiatives related to the war and discussed the EU’s decision to freeze Russian assets. Erdoğan also reaffirmed that Turkey is ready to hold talks in any format.
