Pakistan has formally nominated former US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2026, citing his “decisive diplomatic engagement and pivotal leadership” during the 2025 India-Pakistan crisis.
According to official declarations from Islamabad, Trump’s involvement was critical in defusing heightened tensions between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, ultimately averted a full-fledged war with disastrous regional ramifications.
The nomination was publicly publicized on the Pakistani government’s verified social media sites, with officials praising Trump’s “strategic foresight and stellar statesmanship” in engaging both Islamabad and New Delhi at a key juncture.
The crisis apparently began with a terrorist strike in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam district, which resulted in severe casualties and a major increase in cross-border fighting. Pakistan characterized India’s actions as “unprovoked and unlawful aggression,” claiming a violation of its sovereignty and civilian casualties.
In response, Islamabad launched Operation Bunyan-un-Marsoos, which it described as a “measured and precise military response” to restore deterrence while minimizing civilian casualties. As hostilities threatened to escalate, Pakistan claimed that Trump’s “back-channel diplomacy” was instrumental in de-escalating the situation and brokering a cease-fire.
Islamabad’s statement praised Trump as a “genuine peacemaker,” emphasizing his commitment to settling issues through diplomacy. The Pakistani government also acknowledged Trump’s repeated offers to arbitrate the Kashmir dispute, describing his involvement as a “sincere commitment to long-term peace in South Asia.” The statement highlighted that long-term peace in the area would be impossible without a resolution to the Kashmir issue in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions.
However, the Indian government has firmly denied any outside interference in the peace talks. In a recent phone talk with Trump, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized that the discussions were undertaken at Islamabad’s request and that no other countries were participating. India’s foreign ministry has historically opposed third-party mediation in its bilateral conflicts with Pakistan.
Despite these denials, Trump has often claimed credit for mediating peace between India and Pakistan, claiming that his actions were critical in preventing a war. He has also voiced dissatisfaction with not receiving recognition for his diplomatic involvement in other worldwide issues, declaring, “They won’t give me a Nobel Peace Prize because they only give it to liberals.”
The nomination comes just after Trump received Pakistan’s Army Chief, Asim Munir, at the White House, a rare meeting following the four-day military standoff. Munir has previously lobbied for Trump’s Nobel nomination, crediting him with preventing a nuclear conflict between India and Pakistan. The White House acknowledged the meeting and Munir’s appreciation for Trump’s involvement in reducing tensions.
While Pakistan has praised Trump’s diplomatic involvement as critical in averted conflict, India has categorically dismissed the notion of external mediation, emphasizing that the truce was the product of direct bilateral interaction. The nomination emphasizes the conflicting narratives behind the crisis’ settlement as well as the current geopolitical tensions surrounding India-Pakistan relations.
