‘Claim of peace proven false': As US enters war against Iran, what Pakistan has to say on its govt naming Trump for Nobel Prize
Just two days after President Donald Trump was 'officially recommended' for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, the United States joined Israel in its war against Iran by bombing three key Iranian nuclear sites.
Now, several Pakistani political leader and prominent figures have asked the government to reconsider its decision to nominate Trump for the prestigious honour awarded for peacemaking efforts.
This has come under scrutiny after the US bombed Iran's Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites, joining Israel to dent Tehran's nuclear programme, news agency PTI reported, citing the Dawn newspaper.
A letter of recommendation, signed by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, has already been sent to the Nobel Peace Prize Committee in Norway. The recommendation was made 'in recognition of his decisive diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership during the recent India-Pakistan crisis', as per an official statement from Islamabad.
'How can he claim to be proponent of peace'
Chief of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) and veteran politician Maulana Fazlur Rehman demanded that the government take back its decision. 'President Trump's claim of peace has proven to be false; the proposal for the Nobel Prize should be withdrawn,' he told workers at a party meeting in Pakistan's Murree on Sunday.
'Trump has supported the Israeli attacks on Palestine, Syria, Lebanon and Iran. How can this be a sign of peace?' Fazl questioned. He added that Trump's recent meeting and lunch with Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir 'pleased Pakistani rulers so much' that they recommended nominating the US president for the Nobel Prize.
Further he said: 'With the blood of Afghans and Palestinians on America's hands, how can he claim to be a proponent of peace?'
'Leader who unleashed an illegal war'
Former senator Mushahid Hussain wrote on X: 'Since Trump is no longer a potential peacemaker, but a leader who has willfully unleashed an illegal war, Pakistan government must now review, rescind and revoke his Nobel nomination!' He said Trump had been 'trapped by (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin )Netanyahu and the Israeli war lobby, committing (the' biggest blunder of his presidency'.
'Trump will now end up presiding over the decline of America!' Trump 'engaged in deception and betrayed his own promise not to start new wars', Mushahid said in another post, strongly condemning the US attacks on Iran.
'Reconsider': Opposition PTI
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker Ali Muhammad Khan wrote 'reconsider' on his X account, highlighting the 'US attack on Iran and continuous US support of Israeli killings in Gaza'.
In a separate post, the Opposition PTI condemned the 'unprovoked' US strikes and voiced 'total support' for Iran's sovereignty.
Raoof Hasan, head of PTI's political think-tank, said the government's decision was now a 'cause of unmitigated shame and embarrassment for those who were instrumental in making the choice'. 'That's why it is said that legitimacy can neither be bought nor gifted,' said Hasan, as he took a jibe at the Pakistani government. He also denounced the US' 'total disregard for international covenants' through attacks on Iran.
Former senator Afrasiab Khattak said: 'The sycophancy adopted by the Pakistani ruling elite in nominating President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize is not part of normative conduct in international diplomacy. It was most embarrassing to announce the nomination hours before Trump ordered to bomb Iranian nuclear sites.'
Meanwhile, Jamaat-i-Islami chief Naeemur Rehman has said the decision 'undermines our national dignity and grace'.
Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistan's former ambassador to the US, termed the move 'unfortunate' and said it did not reflect the public's views. Author and activist Fatima Bhutto asked: 'Will Pakistan withdraw its nomination for him to receive the Nobel Peace Prize?'
— With PTI inputs
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