It seems Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif just cannot catch a break. As if the awkward moment of being snubbed at the SCO Summit for lunging to shake hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin was not embarrassing enough, he is now being mercilessly trolled online, this time not for his diplomacy but for his trousers.
A video from Sharif’s bilateral meeting with Putin in Beijing on Tuesday has gone viral, triggering a wave of memes and jokes about the Pakistani leader’s outfit. Many social media users claimed Sharif was wearing a “capri” instead of formal trousers, questioning his dressing sense at such a high-profile event.
“Wtf is wrong with his pants.. did he go there wearing capris?” one X user wrote. Actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut also weighed in on the post, simply remarking, “Seriously!”
Wtf is wrong with his pants.. did he go there wearing capris? https://t.co/6zsmWDSlki— Girish Kudva (@girishkudva) September 2, 2025
Seriously !Related stories
— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 2, 2025
Another comment read, “Short pants & socks of Pakistan’s Prime Minister – a new diplomatic protocol ? Putin's body language with Shahbaz Sharif speaks volumes. Clearly, Putin's must be thinking, 'Beta, agla number tera hi hoga ab.’”
The brutal trolling didn’t stop here as another user wrote: “His pant was most probably a size bigger so he wore it high so that it doesn't fall down. Asim Munir probably ran away with his pants and he didn't have money to buy new ones.”
Some netizens mocked Sharif for allegedly wearing his younger brother’s clothes. “Shahbaz has reached the meeting to meet Putin wearing his younger brother's pants!” one user posted. A human rights activist took an even sharper swipe, saying, “Seeing his pants reminds me of Tarek Fatah bhai who used to say: ‘bade bhai ka kurta chote bhai ka pyjama.’ I think he has got this suit also in bheek as it does not fit him.”
Sharif’s odd hand gestures during the meeting also became fodder for memes. In one viral clip, he can be seen pointing fingers at Putin in a way that drew mockery from users online.
Adding to the embarrassment, Sharif fumbled with his translation headphones at the start of the meeting. Another widely shared video showed the Pakistani PM struggling to insert the translation earpiece, prompting more ridicule.
Amid the online roasting, Sharif tried to sound statesmanlike during his meeting with Putin. He told the Russian president that Pakistan respects Moscow’s relations with India and called for stronger ties between Islamabad and Moscow. “Our relations have only improved over the past many years. Thanks to your commitment and interest in many areas. I also intend to decisively strengthen our bilateral ties,” Sharif said.
The Pakistani prime minister expressed gratitude to Putin for supporting Pakistan, describing it as “a balancing act in the region.” He added, “I must say that we respect your relations with India. That is perfectly fine. But we also want to build very strong relations (with Russia). And these relations will be supplementary and complementary for the good and for the progress and prosperity of the region.”
Both leaders had attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in China’s Tianjin earlier in the week and also took part in a grand parade of the Chinese army earlier today to mark the 80th anniversary of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.
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