A bold takeaway: RT India removed a post alleging that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was “waiting to meet” Russian President Vladimir Putin, after acknowledging the claim could misrepresent what actually happened.
Overview of what occurred: While PM Sharif was in Ashgabat for an international forum, he met several world leaders on the sidelines, including Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian, Tajikistan’s President Emomali Rahmon, Kyrgyzstan’s President Sadyr Japarov, and Putin. Pakistani officials described the exchanges as warm and constructive.
Official commentary from Pakistan: Information Minister Ataullah Tarar posted a video on X showing Sharif shaking hands with Putin in a hallway, calling the meetings with Putin, Erdogan, and Pezeshkian “warm and cordial.” He also characterized the interactions as productive and highlighted Pakistan’s positive presence on the global stage. PM’s spokesman for foreign media Mosharraf Zaidi echoed this assessment, noting meaningful conversations with peers from the attending nations and underscoring the visible goodwill in the relationships with these leaders.
RT India’s revised stance: RT India, the newest iteration of Russia’s state-backed global media network, initially shared a separate video that suggested Sharif waited for Putin before a meeting with Erdogan, a claim that has since been deleted. Late on Friday, RT India issued a clarification stating that the post might have misrepresented the actual events.
Context about RT India: The branch launched recently during a visit by Putin to New Delhi and is part of Russia’s broader international media footprint.
Contested reports from other outlets: Indian media had carried reports based on the original RT India post, describing Sharif as waiting for 40 minutes before potentially interrupting or “gate-crashing” Putin’s meeting with Erdogan. The Times of India and Hindustan Times quoted the original post in their coverage.
Alternate account from Russia: Russia’s RIA news agency reported that Sharif later joined the 40-minute closed-door discussions between Erdogan and Putin.
Takeaway for readers: This sequence illustrates how conflicting portrayals of a brief moment can surface quickly in international diplomacy coverage, and why official statements and corroborating footage matter when interpreting such snippets.
