Khawaja Asif Criticises Miliband Over Shoe Etiquette in Istanbul

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has criticised UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband over his seating during a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in Istanbul. The Khawaja Asif Miliband exchange began with a post on X on Saturday, in which Asif took issue with a photograph from the meeting.

“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. The photograph showed Miliband sitting with one leg crossed over the other, with the sole of his shoe facing Dar.

The post drew wide attention within hours. Asif is known for blunt remarks on social media and has targeted foreign leaders before. Some users on X said a Pakistani official sitting in the same way would have faced swift lectures on manners from commentators, while the British foreign secretary received a free pass for the same behaviour.

Why the seating drew attention

In Pakistan, as in much of South Asia and the Middle East, showing the sole of a shoe to another person is widely seen as disrespectful. Asif’s point rested on that shared norm, not on the substance of the meeting. He did not criticise the talks themselves, and his post said nothing against the bilateral relationship.

The photograph itself tells the rest of the story. It shows the two delegations seated across a small table, with flags of Pakistan and the United Kingdom placed between them. Miliband sits opposite Dar, one leg crossed over the other, while Dar gestures during the discussion. The image, published with the ProPakistani report, matches the scene Asif described.

What the Khawaja Asif Miliband meeting was about

Dar met Miliband on Friday on the sidelines of the R4 and E3 foreign ministers’ meeting hosted by Turkiye. According to an official statement, the two sides agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation further and discussed regional and international developments. The UK foreign secretary also praised Pakistan’s role in promoting regional peace.

The Istanbul meeting brought together the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy. Talks focused on the United States and 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.

That context matters. The seating row broke out on the edge of a serious diplomatic gathering, not in place of it. The meeting itself covered live conflicts and a shipping chokepoint that affects energy supplies across the region. Asif’s post did not dispute any of that work, and neither side has suggested the etiquette row affected the talks.

A familiar pattern for Asif

Asif’s intervention fits his public style. He regularly uses social media to speak plainly, often in terms that career diplomats would avoid. His supporters read that bluntness as honesty, while his critics read it as noise around careful diplomacy. Either way, the post reached a large audience fast, and the photograph gave it a clear focus.

For Pakistan, the episode also shows how quickly a small moment from a formal meeting can travel. A single photograph, a short post and a shared cultural norm were enough to turn a seating position into a talking point. The talks in Istanbul went on regardless, but the row will likely follow Miliband’s visit in Pakistani coverage for some time.

Related coverage: Turkish foreign minister to host R4 and E3 meetings in Istanbul, and Ishaq Dar meets Turkiye, Egypt foreign ministers.

Frequently asked questions

What did Khawaja Asif say about Ed Miliband?

Asif wrote on X that etiquette dictates the soles of shoes should not be visible to people sitting around you, especially in a formal setting. He was reacting to a photograph of Miliband seated with one leg crossed over the other during a meeting with Ishaq Dar.

When and where did the meeting take place?

Dar met Miliband on Friday in Istanbul, on the sidelines of the R4 and E3 foreign ministers’ meeting hosted by Turkiye.

What did Dar and Miliband discuss?

According to an official statement, the two sides agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation and discussed regional and international developments. Miliband also praised Pakistan’s role in promoting regional peace.

Did the row affect the talks?

Neither side has suggested that it did. The meeting covered the United States and Israel-Iran conflict and tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, and Dar held separate meetings with five other counterparts during the visit.

Source: ProPakistani.