Fact Check: Did Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif Interrupt Putin's Meeting with Erdogan?

Social media users heavily criticized Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif after a viral video allegedly showed him "gatecrashing" a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

According to footage shared by RT India, Sharif reportedly entered an ongoing closed-door meeting between President Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. This occurred after Sharif's scheduled bilateral meeting with the Russian leader was delayed in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, where leaders had gathered for the International Forum dedicated to the International Year of Peace and Trust.

RT India subsequently removed the video, acknowledging that the post "may have been a misrepresentation of the events."

The media outlet clarified on X (formerly Twitter): "We deleted an earlier post about Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif waiting to meet Vladimir Putin at the Peace and Trust Forum in Turkmenistan. The post may have been a misrepresentation of the events."

In their initial reporting, RT India had claimed that Sharif and his delegation waited approximately 40 minutes before deciding to enter the venue where Putin was engaged in discussions with Erdogan.

Pakistani media sources reported that Sharif did interact with both Putin and Erdogan, discussing various bilateral and regional matters of mutual concern.

During the international event, Prime Minister Shehbaz also conducted a separate meeting with Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian.