Pakistan resorted to petty social media tactics during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit, cropping Prime Minister Narendra Modi out of the group photograph of SCO leaders shared by the Pakistan PMO. The edited image strategically positioned Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the centre. In contrast, the family photograph posted by PM Modi featured the complete group, including Sharif.
Apart from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Pakistan also edited the photograph of the Iranian President.
The photograph was taken during the SCO Summit in Bishkek on Tuesday, showing leaders of the 10 member countries posing together. However, the version shared by the Pakistan PMO cropped out Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Iranian President and several other leaders.
The edited image appeared to be deliberately framed to place Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the centre, creating the impression that he occupied a more prominent position in the gathering.
However, the original photograph shared by PM Modi told a different story. Sharif was actually standing fourth from the right, as visible in the original image.
Social media users were quick to notice the alteration and criticised Pakistan’s social media tactics. Several users also shared the complete family photograph to counter what they viewed as an attempt at propaganda.
