Imran Khan didn’t sit down after Israeli PM arrived at SCO Summit in 2019

PTI leader Ali Muhammad Khan posted a clip on social media site X which claimed that as prime minister, Imran Khan sat down at an event when he saw the Israeli PM enter.

The actual video is of Russian President Vladimir Putin entering a Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting. The tweet has 1.6 million impressions.

The video relates to the opening ceremony of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in 2019.

It must be noted that Israel is not a member of the SCO. Neither the Israeli prime minister of any delegate has attended the summit in 2019 or in subsequent years.

ہمیں یاد ہے زرا زرا تمہیں یاد ہو کہ نہ یاد ہو ! pic.twitter.com/0iDmrNM166

— Ali Muhammad Khan (@Ali_MuhammadPTI) February 12, 2024

In a diplomatic faux pas, Imran Khan has been caught breaching diplomatic protocol by sitting down without waiting for his fellow heads of state to arrive at the opening ceremony of the major international summit.

Khan took a seat while the rest of the room stood to welcome heads of state, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, to the opening ceremony.

Khan stood briefly to acknowledge when his name was called out with a slight bow before unceremoniously plopping himself back down on his chair, while the rest of the room stood and applauded as the remainder of the international leaders filed in.

A video was shared by the official Twitter handle of his own party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and was then used by his opponents to criticize him.

Prime Minister of #Pakistan @ImranKhanPTI‘s Arrival with other World Leaders at Invitation of President of Kyrgyzstan for Opening Ceremony 19th Meeting of the Council of the Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Bishkek Kyrgyzstan (13.06.19)#SCOSummit2019 pic.twitter.com/fYdKYN3Fv7

— PTI (@PTIofficial) June 13, 2019