Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has created a diplomatic storm in an international forum in Turkmenistan after he reportedly stormed into a closed-door meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over a prolonged wait for his scheduled appointment.
What was supposed to be a routine meeting between the Pakistani Prime Minister and President Putin did not quite go according to script, as his scheduled appointment was delayed by some 40 minutes. Abandoned in a hall, an apparently miffed Mr. Sharif decided to dispense with protocol and entered a high-level discussion unscripted.
Video Catches Diplomatic Gaffe
A video clip aired by RT India shows the moment the irritated prime minister, flanked by his security detail, stepped out of his waiting area and marched directly to the room where Presidents Putin and Erdogan were already having a closed-door meeting.
The footage dramatically shows Mr. Sharif crossing the threshold and pushing his way into the meeting, only to be promptly halted by guards moments after his entry.
Another video shared by RT India showed the Pakistani delegation, including the Prime Minister, sat upright and rigid on their chairs next to an empty chair marked by the Russian flag, their impatience very evident as they waited for President Putin to show up.
Exiting With Gusto
Sharif’s gate-crashing was swift. The footage suggests the “calculated gate-crash,” interpreted by observers to mean a desperate attempt to appear relevant after being made to wait, lasted for about ten minutes before the Pakistani Prime Minister abruptly exited the room.
The incident transpired when Mr. Sharif was visiting Turkmenistan, which was hosting an international forum to celebrate 30 years of permanent neutrality in the country.
Social Media Explodes In Mockery
The diplomatic gaffe soon turned into fodder for social media users, who quickly latched onto the chance to make fun of Mr. Sharif for losing his patience and breaking protocol instead of waiting for his turn.
Comments ran from the humorous to the sharply critical:
“After 40 mins of wait, even zomato delivery guy gives up. Sharif still didn’t,” one of the users wrote. “Ignored him like a traffic signal ka bhikhari “, another said. “Beggars cannot be choosies,” wrote a third. This, however, did not stop the large programme celebrating Turkmenistan’s unique and UN-recognized policy of permanent neutrality from proceeding as scheduled, in spite of the highly visible diplomatic incident.
