‘Cheap, disgraceful act’: BJP, SP slam Pakistan PMO over edited SCO summit photo

New Delhi: BJP and Samajwadi Party leaders on Wednesday criticised the Pakistan Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) for sharing an edited photograph of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting, that left out Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders, calling it a “cheap and disgraceful act”.

Talking to reporters, West Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh said that such actions only damage Pakistan’s image internationally.

“The people of Pakistan indulge in such fraud and trickery, which is why no one in the world trusts them. Whether PM Modi’s photo is there or not makes no difference at all. They are only tarnishing their own country’s image,” he said.

Speaking to IANS, Samajwadi Party leader S.T. Hasan also criticised the move, saying Pakistan should not stoop to such a low level.

“This is a very cheap and disgraceful act. Pakistan should not stoop to such a low level. Our country is far ahead of Pakistan in every respect. Its only job is to spread terrorism, and it has shot itself in the foot,” he said.

Hasan further said that Pakistan had failed to respond to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks on terrorism during the SCO Summit.

“They could not respond to our Prime Minister’s remarks on terrorism and remained silent. Since they had no answer, they edited the picture out of frustration. Such actions serve no purpose and only make them look embarrassed,” he said.

The X post by the Pakistan Prime Minister’s Office featuring world leaders at the SCO Summit in Kyrgyzstan’s Bishkek drew attention on Tuesday after the image was cropped on both sides. The edited photograph left out Prime Minister Narendra 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,” the Pakistan PMO said in the post on Tuesday.

However, a few hours after the Pakistan PMO’s post, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif shared the original photograph featuring all the leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Today, I was honoured to address the SCO Council of Heads of State Meeting in Bishkek as Pakistan assumed the SCO Chairmanship for 2027. I congratulated the Kyrgyz Republic on successfully hosting the Summit and steering the Organisation with distinction,” Sharif said in his post, recalling his country’s “immense sacrifices in the fight against terrorism”.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi said on Tuesday at the 26th SCO Summit that the West Asia conflict must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy. He also urged member states to shun “double standards” while unitedly countering the challenge of terrorism.

PM Modi’s comments were made in the presence of Pakistan Prime Minister Sharif and Chinese President Xi Jinping. China has often opposed India’s efforts to sanction Pakistani terrorists at international forums such as the United Nations Security Council.

IANS