News Desk: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif found himself at the centre of an unexpected diplomatic spectacle during his visit to Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, where he was attending an international forum marking 30 years of the country’s UN-recognised permanent neutrality.
Sharif was scheduled for a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but after waiting for more than 40 minutes in an adjacent room, the Pakistani leader appeared to lose patience. In a moment caught on camera and widely circulated online, Sharif — accompanied by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar — walked straight into a closed-door discussion already underway between Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif waited 40 minutes to meet Vladimir Putin.
But Putin did not arrive…
Shehbaz Sharif then gate-crashed Putin & Edrogan’s meeting.
A day without humiliation is a day wasted for beggars 😂 pic.twitter.com/M1tRSBHLOp
— Lakshay Mehta (@lakshaymehta08) December 12, 2025
The video, first shared by RT India, shows Sharif stepping into the room, exchanging greetings, and taking a seat before quietly exiting around 10 minutes later. The footage spread rapidly across social platforms, triggering a wave of mockery and memes, with users dubbing it a rare “gate-crash” in high-level diplomacy.
Reports in international media noted that while such scheduling overlaps are not uncommon at multilateral events, leaders entering an ongoing tête-à-tête without prior clearance is seen as a protocol slip. The Pakistani side has not issued an official clarification on why the delay occurred or whether communication gaps led to the mix-up.
❗️The Moment Loser Porkistan PM Sharif Gate-crashed Putin’s Meeting With Erdogan After Waiting For 40 Mins! pic.twitter.com/XsTmAFL6sw
— Major Sammer Pal Toorr (Infantry Combat Veteran) (@samartoor3086) December 12, 2025
Sharif’s visit came amid a gathering of global leaders to commemorate the 1995 UN resolution granting Turkmenistan its unique permanent neutrality status — a commitment that keeps the Central Asian nation outside military blocs and conflicts.
The brief diplomatic misstep may not have long-term consequences, but it certainly delivered one of the most talked-about moments of the summit — and one Pakistan’s foreign office would likely prefer to forget.
