RT India deletes video of Shahbaz Sharif waiting to meet Putin
JournalismPakistan.com | Published: 13 December 2025
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RT India removed a video depicting Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif waiting for a meeting with President Putin, citing misrepresentation. The Pakistani Foreign Office described the incident as a misunderstanding amidst viral speculation on social media.Summary
ISLAMABAD — RT India deleted a video on Saturday showing Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif waiting for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Turkmenistan, acknowledging that the clip may have misrepresented the events.
The 14-second video, which went viral on social media on Friday, suggested that the Pakistani prime minister was made to wait while President Putin continued a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during an international forum.
Video sparks online backlash
The footage showed Prime Minister Sharif seated beside a Pakistani flag, with an adjacent chair marked with the Russian flag remaining empty. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Information Minister Attaullah Tarar were also visible in the clip.
The video further showed Prime Minister Sharif walking toward a room where President Putin and President Erdogan were reportedly meeting, fueling online claims that Pakistan’s leader had been diplomatically sidelined.
RT India issues clarification
In a statement posted after deleting the video, RT said: “We deleted an earlier post about Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif waiting to meet Vladimir Putin at the Peace and Trust Forum in Turkmenistan. The post may have been a misrepresentation of the events.”
Pakistan’s Foreign Office also addressed the issue, describing the video as the result of a “misunderstanding” and confirming that RT India had removed the content.
Context of Turkmenistan visit
Prime Minister Sharif was in Turkmenistan on a two-day visit to attend events marking the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s Permanent Neutrality, alongside the International Year of Peace and Trust 2025 and the International Day of Neutrality.
Despite the clarification, the video continued to circulate on Pakistani social media, where it was widely portrayed as a diplomatic snub, underscoring how short clips can rapidly shape online political narratives, even after being withdrawn.
ATTRIBUTION: Information based on statements from RT India and Pakistan’s Foreign Office, and publicly reported details of the Turkmenistan visit.
Key Points
- RT India deleted a viral video showing Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif waiting at an event in Turkmenistan
- The broadcaster said the post may have misrepresented what actually happened
- Pakistan's Foreign Office termed the incident a misunderstanding
- The video circulated widely on social media before its removal
- Prime Minister Sharif was attending neutrality and peace-related events in Turkmenistan
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