Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif found himself in an awkward diplomatic moment during an international forum in Turkmenistan on Friday, December 12, held to mark the 30th anniversary of the nation’s permanent neutrality. Sharif had been scheduled to hold a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the event, but the situation unfolded differently from what had been planned.

According to a video shared by RT India, Sharif inadvertently walks into a closed-door discussion between Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. His scheduled meeting with the Russian leader had been delayed, leaving him waiting for more than 40 minutes before he stepped into the ongoing talks between the two presidents.

According to an RT correspondent, Sharif eventually grew impatient after the prolonged wait and entered the room where Putin and Erdogan were already engaged in conversation. He reportedly stayed for around ten minutes before leaving.

The episode comes as Sharif continues efforts to bolster Pakistan’s relationship with Moscow, even as Putin maintains a visibly closer diplomatic rapport with India. The Russian president was in the Indian capital last week for a high-profile visit that included warm public exchanges and a private dinner with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, attracting widespread international attention.

Footage of the incident has triggered mockery on social media, with users describing it as an embarrassing slip in protocol. One user on X joked that Sharif was only checking whether Erdogan had “spare change for the IMF instalment due next week.” Another commenter wrote, “Even Trump did the same with these beggars.” Another user quipped, “Shehbaz Sharif waited 40 minutes just to get a 10-minute cameo in Putin and Erdogan’s chat, then left like a guy who joined the wrong Zoom call. Bro literally pulled a “sorry wrong table” at the geopolitical cafeteria”.