Pakistan’s Nobel Nod For Trump Sparks Outrage Over Gaza, Iran Stance

Pakistan's decision to nominate US President Donald Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize has left not only geopolitical analysts baffled, but also Pakistan's own citizens and political commentators stunned.

Citing Trump's "decisive diplomatic intervention" during last month's flare-up between India and Pakistan, Islamabad announced the nomination, prompting widespread backlash online.

Photo Credit: AP/PTI

Critics were quick to highlight Trump's support for Israel's "genocidal war" in Gaza and his praise for the bombing of Iran, questioning the credibility of such a proposal.

The reaction on social media was swift and scathing, with numerous Pakistani activists, writers and commentators accusing the government of pandering to Washington at the expense of principle.

'Ingratiation can't serve as policy'

Veteran journalist and author Zahid Hussain denounced the move as "pathetic", condemning Islamabad for backing a man who supports regional wars.

"Trump has called Israel's attack on Iran 'excellent'. And the Pakistani government has recommended him for the Nobel Peace prize... So pathetic on the part of the Pakistan government. A man who has backed genocidal war in Gaza and planning to invade Iran," Hussain tweeted.

Former Pakistani ambassador to the United Nations, Maleeha Lodhi, was equally forthright. "It is unfortunate that the govt is recommending Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize. A man who has backed Israel's genocidal war in Gaza... This move does not reflect the views of the people of Pakistan," she said.

The nomination was made shortly after Trump hosted Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, at the White House. A White House spokesperson, Anna Kelly, previously noted that Trump had invited Munir for lunch following the general's promise to recommend him for the Nobel Prize for "preventing a nuclear war between India and Pakistan".

India, however, has repeatedly clarified that the ceasefire was a direct outcome of negotiations between the two nations themselves, initiated by Pakistan at the peak of Operation Sindoor.

Activists, senator slam Islamabad

The criticism extended beyond diplomats and journalists. A number of Pakistani activists took to social media to attack what they described as a "puppet regime" devoid of integrity.

"The genocide in Gaza is still happening because Trump wants it. Another war in the Middle East is brewing because Trump called for it. And yet, Pakistan's puppet regime, eager to please the empire, recommends him for the Nobel Peace Prize. Zero dignity," wrote activist Rida Rashid.

Another prominent voice, Noor-e-Maryam Kanwer, commented, "Pakistan has once again proved that it would remain a rentier state."

Perhaps the strongest rebuke came from Senator Allama Raja Nasir, who called the nomination a "deeply misguided and ethically hollow decision".

"Such a nomination undermines the very principles of peace and justice the award purports to uphold. Moreover, this gesture matters little, as the Nobel Peace Prize has long served as a Western tool to honour its own and advance its geopolitical agenda," he stated on X.

Global voices respond

International voices also weighed in. US-based national security analyst Derek J Grossman declared, "Whatever dignity Pakistan had left, and there wasn't much, is now gone."

Mehlaqa Samdani, director of the Community Alliance for Peace and Justice, called the move a blatant act of submission. "This is embarrassing beyond belief. Pakistan's government recommending Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize reeks of servility and a colonised mindset," she wrote on X.

Agenda behind Pakistan's move?

Given Pakistan's repeated condemnation of Israeli actions in Gaza at various global platforms, many have questioned why the country would now support Trump - whose administration has backed Israel unequivocally.

Officially, Pakistan cited Trump's "robust diplomatic engagement" with both Islamabad and New Delhi in de-escalating the recent crisis as grounds for the nomination. The statement described the former US President as a "genuine peacemaker".

However, observers have noted the strategic timing of this recommendation. Trump, in recent months, has publicly offered to mediate the Kashmir dispute.

"I will work with you both to see if, after a thousand years, a solution can be arrived at, concerning Kashmir," Trump had said earlier this year.

India, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has consistently rejected any third-party mediation on Kashmir, reiterating that the issue concerns an integral part of India and any future dialogue with Pakistan would focus solely on Pakistan-occupied territory.

The Nobel Prize nod, therefore, appears to be Pakistan's latest diplomatic manoeuvre to win American favour on the Kashmir issue.