A formal diplomatic welcome in Islamabad briefly turned into an unscripted moment on Sunday when Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar quite literally took a step too far while greeting Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty.
As Dar moved forward to receive his counterpart at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he lost his footing and took an unexpected tumble, momentarily interrupting the choreography of protocol. Staff and security personnel were quick to step in, helping him back on his feet almost as swiftly as he had gone down.
The incident occurred while Dar was welcoming foreign ministers from Saudi, Egypt and Turkiye foreign ministers to discuss developments in West Asia. The visit from ministers of affected came after Iran rejected the White House’s 15 point peace plan that had been brokered by Pakistan.
Financialexpress.com could not independently verify the authenticity of the video. While the original caption of the video shared on X noted, “Thank God he remained safe!!!”, the clip has sparked a wave of reactions online. For many netizens, the timing of the fall occurring during a high-profile diplomatic event has become the subject of a meme fest.
Social media reacts
The incident has quickly drawn comparisons to previous awkward moments involving Pakistan’s top leadership on the global stage. Only recently, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was the subject of online memes after a video surfaced showing him waiting awkwardly in an empty room for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
While the Deputy PM reportedly escaped the fall without any serious injuries and continued with the scheduled diplomatic proceedings, the video continues to gain massive traction. On platforms like X, users are resharing the clip, with some expressing concern for his well-being and others pointing out the frequency of such “embarrassing” moments for Pakistan’s leadership on the global stage.