Pakistan’s social media team has triggered a backlash after Prime Minister Narendra Modi was cropped out of an official photograph of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) leaders shared by the Pakistan Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).The photograph was taken during the SCO Summit in Bishkek on Tuesday, with leaders of the 10-member grouping posing for a family photograph. While the original image showed all the leaders, the version posted by the Pakistan PMO cropped out PM Modi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and several other leaders.Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in a group photo with heads of States at the SCO Council of Heads of State Summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on 1 September 2026. pic.twitter.com/3lsruWHaYV— Prime Minister’s Office (@PakPMO) September 1, 2026The edit also appeared to position Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif prominently at the centre of the frame next to Vladimir Putin.However, the full photograph shared by PM Modi showed the actual arrangement of the leaders, with Sharif standing fourth from the right.Pakistan PMO’s cropped SCO photo sparks social media reactionThe move quickly drew criticism on social media, with users accusing the Pakistan PMO of attempting to create a misleading impression about Sharif’s position in the group photograph.One user wrote on X, “Pakistan PM cropped the image to not show PM Modi. Meanwhile, Modi shared the full pic. Typical Pakistani mindset.”Another journalist described the edit as a “terrible crop job”, writing: “Imagine taking the SCO presidency and your very first foreign policy move is a terrible crop job. The Pakistan PMO digital team was so desperate to put Shehbaz Sharif in the centre that they edited out 5 world leaders.”Amid the backlash, Sharif later shared the full group photograph on his personal X account.The controversy did not stop there. Sharif’s official Facebook account also shared a cropped version of a video showing SCO leaders at the roundtable, in which PM Modi was reportedly edited out.Social media users responded by sharing the original photograph. Some also circulated edited versions showing Sharif holding a “begging bowl”, referring to his earlier remarks about seeking financial assistance from countries around the world.PM Modi, Xi Jinping and Putin share a moment at SCO SummitThe leaders’ interactions at the summit also attracted attention.After the family photograph, Sharif was seen approaching Russian President Vladimir Putin as the Russian leader walked away from the podium. Sharif appeared to stop Putin by holding his hand before speaking with him.PM Modi, meanwhile, was seen interacting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Putin during the summit. The three leaders were seen shaking hands and briefly speaking with each other, recalling their interaction at the 2025 SCO Summit in Tianjin.The 2025 photograph of Modi, Xi and Putin chatting and sharing a light moment had become one of the most widely discussed images from that summit.PM Modi delivers strong message on terrorism at SCO SummitTerrorism was a key theme of PM Modi’s address at the SCO Summit. While he did not explicitly name Pakistan, his remarks were seen in the context of India’s concerns over cross-border terrorism.Modi stressed that there could be no “double standards” in the fight against terrorism and called for action against the entire ecosystem supporting terrorist activities, including their financing.“Those countries that use terrorism as an instrument of their policy, and provide support to terrorists, must be sent a strong message that terrorism cannot be a strategic asset for anyone,” Modi said.India-Pakistan relations have remained strained following the Pahalgam terror attack and the subsequent three-day military conflict. India has also suspended the Indus Waters Treaty and maintained that its position will remain linked to Pakistan taking credible action against cross-border terrorism.