Claim: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif waited 40 minutes for Vladimir Putin before “growing tired and gate-crashing” the Russian president’s meeting with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Fact: The video that fuelled this claim was originally shared by RT India but was later deleted. The outlet issued a clarification saying “the post may have been a misrepresentation of the events”. While PM Shehbaz reportedly joined an ongoing meeting between President Erdogan and Putin, there are no reports saying that he gate-crashed or waited 40-minutes to meet the Russian President.
On 12 December, RT India had shared a video showing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif waiting in a room along with a Pakistani delegation. It was accompanied by the caption:
“❗️🇵🇰 PM Sharif Waited For Over 40 Minutes For President Putin Before Growing Tired And Gate-crashing Russian Leader’s Meeting With Erdogan – RT Correspondent.
He left ten minutes later.”
The post has since been deleted, but the claim was shared by multiple users on social media. Facebook page ‘Pak Lead’ shared the claim in a reel which included a screenshot of RT India’s now-deleted post.
Screenshot of RT India’s X post
Since then, the video has circulated widely on Pakistani social media with varying captions, including comparisons to Imran Khan.
Shehbaz Sharif visits Ashgabat
On 11 December, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Turkmenistan on a two-day official visit at the invitation of Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdymukhamedov. Sharif also attended a “forum organised in Ashgabat to mark the International Year of Peace and Trust 2025, the International Day of Neutrality, and the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s permanent neutrality”. He engaged in informal discussions with world leaders, including Russia’s President Putin, President of Turkey Erdogan, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, and President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov, on the sidelines. Earlier, he also delivered an address emphasising the need to resolve disputes through dialogue and diplomacy. Sharif also reaffirmed support for Gaza and Kashmir, and called on the international community to “urge the Afghan Taliban regime to fulfill its international obligations and commitments and rein in terror elements operating from its territory.”
RT India shared the claim during the forum, which quickly gained traction online.
Fact or Fiction?
Soch Fact Check conducted a keyword search using the terms “Shehbaz Sharif,” “Putin,” “RT India,” “meeting,” and “Erdogan.” We found multiple reports noting that the original post shared by Russia Today’s newest branch, RT India, had been deleted. On 13 December, the outlet posted a clarification on X stating:
“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.”
According to Dawn, the development came as Sharif was in Ashgabat to attend an international forum. On Friday, Sharif met a host of leaders on the sidelines of the gathering, including Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian, Tajikistan’s president Emomali Rahmon, Kyrgyzstan’s president Sadyr Japarov and Russian president Putin.
Information Minister Ataullah Tarar shared a video on X of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif shaking hands with Putin as the two stood in what appeared to be a hallway. He wrote:
“Prime Minister of Pakistan @CMShehbaz at Ashgabad. Great interactions with world leaders. Pakistan shining at the global stage Alhamdulillah ! Warm and cordial exchanges with President of Russia Vladimir Putin @kremlinrussia_E , President of Turkey @RTErdogan and President of Iran @drpezeshkian”
Prime Minister’s Spokesperson for Foreign Media Mosharraf Zaidi also shared the same video, writing:,
“Alhamdolillah, Prime Minister @CMShehbaz had productive meetings with his peers from all the countries that joined Turkmenistan’s celebrations of its neutrality.
The customary warmth in relations was in ample evidence as the PM shared the day with President Erdogan, President Putin & a host of other key world leaders.”
The same video was also shared by the Russian embassy in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif later joined the ongoing talks between Presidents Erdogan and Putin, having initially expected a separate meeting with President Putin. Pakistani media noted that Sharif interacted with both leaders, discussing issues of bilateral and regional importance, according to The Current.
Soch Fact Check further searched for any other news reports which had claimed that PM Shehbaz Sharif waited and eventually gate-crashed the meeting between the Russian and Turkish presidents. However, we did not find anything conclusive. This suggested that the viral claim originated from RT India’s post, which was later removed by the outlet itself, citing it as a misrepresentation of the events.
Virality
The video was shared here, here, here, here, here, and here on Facebook. Archived here, here, here, here, here, and here.
On X, it was shared here (archive) and here (archive).
Conclusion: RT India shared the claim in question but later deleted it. The outlet also issued a clarification on X stating: “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.”
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Background image in cover photo: Anadolu Agency
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