Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif faced an awkward moment at an international forum in Turkmenistan. He was reportedly made to wait for nearly 40 minutes for a scheduled meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The event was organised to mark the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s declaration of neutrality. Leaders from Russia, Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan attended the gathering.
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The video went viral on social media, showing Sharif waiting in a side room with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar. After the prolonged wait, he entered the venue where President Putin was holding closed-door talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Russian Pres Vladimir Putin made Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif wait for 40 mins. Sharif then decided to gate crash Putin’s meeting with Erdogan.
Hurting Putin’s ego is not a good idea. And Erdogan is Pak ke mai baap. Aukat bhool gaye Pak PM. pic.twitter.com/MEsaXzXFCt
— Yusuf Unjhawala 🇮🇳 (@YusufDFI) December 12, 2025
Sharif briefly interacted with the leaders during the meeting. He reportedly left the venue after around 10 minutes.
The event also highlighted Turkmenistan’s neutral status. It reflected the country’s efforts to gradually open its economy, diversify beyond natural gas exports, and pursue World Trade Organisation membership.
