BJP, SP slam Pakistan PMO over cropped SCO summit photo excluding Modi
Synopsis
Pakistan's PMO posted a cropped SCO summit group photo that cut out PM Modi and other world leaders — then PM Shehbaz Sharif himself shared the original unedited image hours later. The blunder triggered rare cross-party condemnation in India, with BJP and SP leaders calling it a 'cheap and disgraceful act' rooted in Pakistan's failure to counter Modi's anti-terrorism remarks at the summit.
Key Takeaways
The Pakistan PMO posted a cropped SCO Summit group photo on X on 1 September 2026 , excluding PM Narendra Modi , Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian , and other leaders.
PM Shehbaz Sharif himself later shared the original, unedited photograph featuring all leaders.
BJP leader Dilip Ghosh said the act 'tarnished Pakistan's own image' internationally.
Hasan called it 'a very cheap and disgraceful act,' linking it to Pakistan's inability to respond to PM Modi's anti-terrorism remarks at the summit.
At the 26th SCO Summit , PM Modi urged member states to reject 'double standards' on terrorism, with both Sharif and Chinese President Xi Jinping present.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Samajwadi Party (SP) leaders on Wednesday, 2 September 2026 sharply condemned the Pakistan Prime Minister's Office (PMO) for circulating a cropped group photograph from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, that deliberately excluded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several other world leaders. The incident drew widespread attention after the edited image surfaced on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, 1 September 2026.
What the Edited Photo Showed
The Pakistan PMO posted a cropped version of the SCO heads-of-state group photograph on X, captioning it: '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 image had been trimmed on both sides, removing PM Modi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and several other leaders from the frame. Within a few hours, however, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif himself shared the original, unedited photograph on his own account — one that included all leaders present at the summit.
Indian Leaders React
West Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh of the BJP, speaking to reporters, said the episode was self-defeating for Pakistan. 'The people of Pakistan indulge in such fraud and trickery, which is why no one in the world trusts them. Whether PM Modi's photo is there or not makes no difference at all. They are only tarnishing their own country's image,' he said.
SP leader S.T. Hasan was equally scathing. 'This is a very cheap and disgraceful act. Pakistan should not stoop to such a low level. Our country is far ahead of Pakistan in every respect. Its only job is to spread terrorism, and it has shot itself in the foot,' he said. Hasan added that Pakistan's frustration stemmed from its inability to counter PM Modi's remarks on terrorism at the summit. 'They could not respond to our Prime Minister's remarks on terrorism and remained silent. Since they had no answer, they edited the picture out of frustration. Such actions serve no purpose and only make them look embarrassed,' he said.
What Modi Said at the SCO Summit
At the 26th SCO Summit on Tuesday, PM Modi called for the West Asia conflict to be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy, and urged member states to abandon 'double standards' in countering terrorism. The remarks were delivered in the presence of both Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese President Xi Jinping — the latter having repeatedly blocked India's efforts to designate Pakistani terrorists at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
Context and Broader Significance
The photo controversy comes amid persistent India-Pakistan tensions, which have frequently spilled into multilateral forums. Notably, this is not the first time a diplomatic gathering has become a flashpoint for optics battles between the two neighbours. The fact that Sharif later posted the unedited image himself suggests the cropped version may not have been officially sanctioned — though no clarification was issued by the Pakistan PMO. The episode has amplified scrutiny of Pakistan's conduct at international summits, particularly given the backdrop of PM Modi's pointed anti-terrorism messaging delivered directly in Sharif's presence.
Point of View
And then Sharif himself corrected it by sharing the original, suggesting an internal miscommunication rather than a calculated slight. Yet the damage to optics was done. The timing matters: it followed Modi's pointed 'double standards on terrorism' remarks delivered directly in Sharif's presence, a moment Pakistan has not publicly addressed. Whether the photo edit was deliberate or a staffer's blunder, it has reinforced a narrative India is happy to amplify — that Pakistan's international conduct is erratic and untrustworthy.
NationPress
2 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened with the Pakistan PMO's SCO summit photo?
The Pakistan Prime Minister's Office shared a cropped version of the SCO heads-of-state group photograph on X on 1 September 2026, which excluded PM Narendra Modi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and several other leaders. Hours later, PM Shehbaz Sharif himself posted the original unedited image that included all leaders.
How did Indian political leaders respond to the edited photo?
Both BJP and Samajwadi Party leaders condemned the act. BJP's Dilip Ghosh said Pakistan was 'tarnishing its own image,' while SP's S.T. Hasan called it 'a very cheap and disgraceful act,' arguing Pakistan edited the photo out of frustration over PM Modi's anti-terrorism remarks at the summit.
What did PM Modi say at the SCO Summit in Bishkek?
At the 26th SCO Summit on 1 September 2026, PM Modi called for the West Asia conflict to be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. He also urged member states to reject 'double standards' in countering terrorism — remarks made directly in the presence of Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Why is China relevant to the India-Pakistan dynamic at the SCO Summit?
China has repeatedly blocked India's efforts to designate Pakistani terrorists at the United Nations Security Council, making its presence alongside both India and Pakistan at the SCO Summit diplomatically significant. PM Modi's anti-terrorism remarks were delivered with both Xi Jinping and Shehbaz Sharif in the room.
Was the cropped photo an official Pakistan government decision?
No official clarification was issued by the Pakistan PMO. The fact that PM Shehbaz Sharif himself later shared the original unedited photograph suggests the cropped version may have been a staffer error rather than an officially sanctioned decision, though this has not been confirmed.
