Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has taken a swipe at UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband over the way he sat during an official meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in Istanbul.
“Etiquette dictates that the soles of your shoes should not be visible to the people sitting around you, especially when you are in a formal setting,” Asif wrote on X on Saturday.
He was quoting a photo from the meeting showing Miliband sitting with one leg crossed over the other, with the sole of his shoe facing Dar.
The Defence Minister’s post drew big traffic within hours. The minister is known for blunt social media remarks and has targeted foreign leaders before.
Some X posters said if a Pakistani official had sat like this, body language and diplomatic etiquette experts would have rushed to school him. He added that the British get a free pass from the same behavior.
What the Meeting Was About
Dar met Miliband on Friday on the sidelines of the R4 and E3 foreign ministers’ meeting hosted by Türkiye. According to an official statement, the two sides agreed to further strengthen bilateral cooperation and discussed regional and international developments.
UK Foreign Secretary also praised Pakistan’s role in promoting regional peace.
The Istanbul meeting brought together the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UK, France, Germany, and Italy. Talks focused on the US/Israel-Iran conflict and tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Dar also held separate meetings with his German, French, Saudi, Turkish, and Egyptian counterparts during the visit.
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