'Wait for me, Putin!’: Sharif’s SCO moment, then Pakistan crops Modi from group photo

Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif’s diplomatic optics at the 2026 SCO Summit in Bishkek drew attention after the Pakistan PMO shared a cropped version of the official family photograph, excluding several leaders including PM Narendra Modi. Soon after, Sharif was seen quickly approaching Russian President Vladimir Putin after the group photograph, prompting the viral “Wait For Me?” description online. We decode both moments, revisit Sharif’s past SCO optics and examine Pakistan’s growing outreach to Russia against the backdrop of India’s wider strategic balancing.