Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif endured a string of embarrassing moments at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, where terrorism dominated discussions and India found strong support from China.

Sharif, already remembered for his 2022 mishap with headphones during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, faced fresh ridicule after awkwardly approaching Putin from behind for a handshake — a clip that quickly went viral.

This year’s summit came against the backdrop of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and India’s retaliatory Operation Sindoor, which destroyed multiple terror launch pads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Despite Pakistan’s attempts to claim the upper hand, the SCO proceedings painted a very different picture.

In his address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly urged member states to reject “double standards” on terrorism and unite against the menace. The SCO’s joint declaration condemned the Pahalgam attack and called for the perpetrators and sponsors to be brought to justice, directly undercutting Pakistan’s denials of involvement.

The biggest setback for Sharif came when Chinese President Xi Jinping backed India’s stand on cross-border terrorism. Modi and Xi, during their bilateral talks, emphasized that both India and China are victims of terror and must cooperate to counter extremist threats. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri confirmed that Modi had “very specifically” sought China’s support on this front.

China, which has seen repeated attacks on its projects in Pakistan by groups like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), has also pressed Islamabad to act against terror outfits. For Sharif, the condemnation from SCO — and Xi’s alignment with India — marked a diplomatic embarrassment in full public view.