Trump’s Nobel Nod Backfires: Pakistan Faces Heat Over Peace Prize Nomination

What began as a quiet diplomatic gesture toward Trump has turned into a public relations mess for Islamabad

Ravi Juneja June 23, 2025Last Updated: June 23, 2025

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Reviewed & Published by HH News Desk

Islamabad, June 23: It started with a letter. A quiet one, signed by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, nominating Donald Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize. The reason? His role in the most recent India-Pakistan ceasefire—a fragile, unofficial truce that’s held up longer than anyone predicted.

For a moment, it seemed like a calculated bit of diplomacy. Pakistan, often boxed into reactive foreign policy, stepping up to position itself as a peace-seeking player in South Asia.

But the applause never came.

The Nomination Nobody Asked For

By the next morning, it was already unravelling. Trump hadn’t responded. But Pakistanis had—loudly.

Leaders from across the political spectrum lit into the government. Maulana Fazlur Rehman, head of the JUI-F, called the nomination “false peace” and said it should be dropped immediately. Mushahid Hussain, no stranger to diplomacy himself, said Trump had “unleashed an illegal war” and didn’t deserve the honor.

Online, it was worse. Hashtags criticizing the decision took off. Ali Muhammad Khan, an MNA from PTI, just wrote “RECONSIDER.” Others didn’t hold back. Former diplomats, journalists, activists—they all piled on. Fatima Bhutto, Maleeha Lodhi, Afrasiab Khattak, and more slammed the nomination as a misstep, if not outright humiliation.

What might’ve passed as a low-stakes gesture now looked like a full-blown credibility issue.

The Real Trouble: Mixed Signals

The timing couldn’t have been worse. Just a day after nominating Trump for peace, Pakistan’s Foreign Office released a strongly worded condemnation of U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear sites. The optics were impossible to miss. On one hand, Islamabad praises a U.S. figure for “peace.” On the other, it’s calling out U.S. violence.

So which is it?

Critics jumped on the contradiction. You can’t claim neutrality while handing out praise to someone aligned with military escalation in the Middle East. Not when Trump’s support for Israeli offensives in Gaza is front-page news. Not when Washington’s posture in the region remains as aggressive as ever.

This wasn’t just a foreign policy blip—it came across as confusion. Or worse, compliance.

Between Diplomacy and Damage Control

The Foreign Ministry hasn’t said much since the backlash started. No official word on whether they’ll withdraw the nomination. But behind the scenes, there’s little doubt the government’s caught off guard.

One former envoy put it bluntly: “They thought it would be symbolic. But symbolism cuts both ways.”

If this was meant to score points with a possible second Trump administration, it’s already proving costly at home. And while Trump himself has stayed silent—no tweet, no speech, no offhand remark at a rally—it’s not clear the gesture even reached him, let alone mattered.

A Bigger Question: What Does Pakistan Stand For?

At the core of the uproar is something deeper than just Trump. It’s about Pakistan’s identity in global affairs.

Is the country trying to play both sides? Condemn violence but cozy up to its architects? Send signals of independence while still seeking favor from Washington?

For many inside the country, the Trump nomination felt like a step backward—another moment where national dignity was put on hold for the sake of political calculus. And for what? A nomination that won’t even register beyond a few diplomatic circles?

That frustration is real. It’s emotional, yes—but it’s also rooted in decades of watching the state lean too far west, too often, with little to show for it.

What Happens Now?

Chances are, this story won’t stay on the front pages for long. There are new crises every week. But the discomfort it’s caused won’t go away quickly.

The nomination was supposed to say something about peace. Instead, it raised doubts about Pakistan’s direction—about who’s calling the shots, and why.

No one really thinks Trump will win the Nobel. That was never the point. The question now is whether Pakistan can explain why it backed him at all—and whether it still stands by that decision.

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Author Profile

Ravi Juneja

Journalist at Hindustan Herald | ravi.j@hindustanherald.com | Web

Ravi Juneja is a student journalist currently pursuing his degree from Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication. With a passion for factual reporting and public interest stories, he covers a wide spectrum of news at Hindustan Herald, including politics, health, technology, entertainment, and global affairs. Ravi is committed to delivering balanced, research-backed journalism with a strong sense of responsibility and independence.