Pakistan PMO Crops PM Narendra Modi's Image From SCO Group Photo
A social media post by the Pakistan Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) featuring leaders at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit has sparked attention after Prime Minister Narendra Modi was cropped out of the official group photograph.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s Office has shared a cropped version of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) leaders’ group photograph from the summit in Bishkek, leaving out Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several other leaders. The full photograph, shared by PM Modi, shows all 10 SCO member-country leaders together, including Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, India Today reported.
Cropped Photograph Shared by Pakistan
The photograph was taken during the SCO Council of Heads of State meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, on Tuesday. In the version posted by Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s Office, the image was framed around Shehbaz Sharif, with Modi and other leaders outside the cropped area. India Today reported that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and some other leaders were also absent from the edited version. PM Narendra Modi Shakes Hands With Xi Jinping, Shares Warm Exchange With Vladimir Putin; Shehbaz Sharif Stands Quietly (Video).
Pakistan PMO Crops PM Modi's Image From SCO Group Photo
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. pic.twitter.com/3lsruWHaYV
— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) September 1, 2026
PMO Shares Full Image of SCO Group Photo
PM @narendramodi along with SCO leaders in Bishkek. pic.twitter.com/0VAUpFWpsz
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) September 1, 2026
The original group photograph shared by PM Modi shows the complete lineup of leaders, making the difference between the two versions apparent.
Full Image Shows All SCO Leaders
The SCO summit brought together leaders of its 10 member states, including India, Pakistan, China, Russia and Iran. PM Modi was seen interacting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the summit. The gathering is taking place as the SCO marks 25 years of the organisation and discusses issues including regional security, connectivity and economic cooperation. ‘Move Away From Endless War’: PM Narendra Modi Delivers Strong Peace Message to Vladimir Putin at SCO Summit.
India-Pakistan Tensions Remain
The contrasting photographs come against the backdrop of strained India-Pakistan relations. Modi and Shehbaz Sharif were present at the same SCO gathering, but there has been no significant public interaction between the two leaders during the summit. In his address at the SCO meeting, Modi also stressed the need for a unified approach to combating terrorism, calling for action against terrorist financing, recruitment, radicalisation and safe havens.
Pakistan Set to Take Over SCO Chairmanship
Pakistan is due to assume the chairmanship of the SCO Council of Heads of State for 2026-27, with Islamabad expected to host the next summit. Sharif’s participation in Bishkek includes the SCO leaders’ meeting as well as bilateral engagements with other participating leaders.
The edited photograph has since drawn attention on social media, largely because the complete version was publicly available through the Indian Prime Minister’s official account. The episode adds a symbolic dimension to an otherwise important multilateral summit involving major regional powers.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 01, 2026 03:22 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
