Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif gatecrashes Putin-Erdogan meeting in Ashgabat

A bid by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to secure a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin during an international forum in Ashgabat drew widespread attention on Friday after the effort appeared to falter, triggering intense discussion and ridicule on social media over what many described as an awkward diplomatic episode.

According to reports, Prime Minister Sharif and his delegation, which included Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, were scheduled to meet President Putin on the sidelines of the International Forum for Peace and Trust in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. However, Sharif reportedly waited for over 40 minutes for the meeting to materialise. With no separate interaction forthcoming, the Pakistani leader eventually joined an ongoing meeting between President Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, remaining there for around 10 minutes before exiting.

The unusual sequence of events quickly became a subject of debate online, with users on social media platforms questioning Pakistan’s diplomatic handling of the situation. Several posts described the incident as embarrassing, while others framed it as a setback for Islamabad’s efforts to deepen engagement with Moscow. The episode was widely shared and commented upon, amplifying scrutiny of Sharif’s foreign policy outreach.

Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti reported that President Putin and President Erdogan continued their discussions in a private setting after their respective delegations left the room. It added that the Pakistani Prime Minister later joined the meeting, having expected to meet President Putin separately in another room.

RT India also reported that Sharif, after waiting for around 40 minutes, entered the Putin-Erdogan meeting but left shortly thereafter when a one-on-one interaction with the Russian leader did not take place.

The incident occurred against the backdrop of Pakistan’s ongoing attempts to strengthen ties with Russia, particularly in areas such as energy and regional connectivity. The Ashgabat forum brought together leaders from several countries, including Russia, Turkiye and Pakistan, to discuss peace, trust and regional cooperation.

Following the event, Prime Minister Sharif shared a post on X highlighting his meeting with Turkish President Erdogan. He described Erdogan as a “time-tested and trusted friend of Pakistan” and said the two leaders reaffirmed cooperation across trade, energy, defence, connectivity and investment, while also exchanging views on regional and global issues including Gaza and Afghanistan.

The episode also drew comparisons online with President Putin’s recent high-profile state visit to India, during which he was warmly received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The visit, marked by a traditional cultural welcome and visible personal warmth between the two leaders, stood in contrast to the Ashgabat incident and further fuelled commentary on diplomatic optics in the region.