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In a rather strange turn of events, the Government of Pakistan has decided to formally recommend US President Donald Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his “decisive diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership” during the recent India-Pakistan crisis. The move is being touted as an indication of improved bilateral ties with the US.

In a post shared on X, the government said that “at a moment of heightened regional turbulence”, President Trump “demonstrated great strategic foresight and stellar statesmanship through robust diplomatic engagement with both Islamabad and New Delhi.”

Naturally, this took most Pakistanis by surprise and elicited reactions of shame and embarrassment. Trump is, after all, not known for his advancement of peace.

One X user believed that Pakistanis were currently living “in the worst timeline”.

‘Handing an arsonist a firefighter’s medal’

One person said Trump was better known for “chaos, division, and warmongering” and his nomination was “an insult to every true peacemaker.”

“This is the same man who pushed the world to the brink of war, tore apart international agreements and fuelled hatred with every tweet. Giving him a peace prize is like handing an arsonist a firefighter’s medal. As a Pakistani, this nomination is not just embarrassing — it’s disgraceful.”

One X user said the nomination was “embarrassing beyond belief” and “reeked of servility and a colonised mindset.”

They called the move an “open display of cringe-worthy pandering.”

People also said that the nomination came “just days after he threatened and ordered the evacuation of Tehran”.

“The jokes write themselves.”

‘Trump enabled the genocide’

Several users highlighted the irony of Pakistan’s move in light of the US’ role in the war on Gaza, its unwavering support for Israel and repeated vetoes against the United Nations’ attempts at a ceasefire.

One person, who claimed to be part of the government, said they were ashamed by the move as the US “literally fund Israel with weapons to bomb Muslim countries.”

“Nobel Prize of peace for Donald Trump? The man who didn’t even condemn Israel for killing more than 20 thousand children in Gaza and killing more than 50 thousand Palestinians is considered for Nobel Prize of peace by the Government of Pakistan is just a shame,” an X user wrote.

Another X user underscored the plight of Gazans and said, “We saw fathers from Gaza carrying their kids remains in bags, babies burning in fire, mothers mourning the loss of all their children, men dying in the death trap of aid distribution […] Trump enabled the genocide and Pakistan nominates him for [the] Nobel Peace Prize.”

One individual highlighted that earlier this month, Pakistan co-sponsored a resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza against the killings of Palestinians, which the US vetoed, and the deaths of Palestinians continued.

They stated that weeks later, on June 20, “Pakistan nominates US President Trump for 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.”

A ‘win-win’?

Some people assumed the nomination was a strategic move on the government’s part, as it bought “Iran time” amid the Iran-Israel war.

“Pakistan’s nomination […] was a brilliant move. They played him perfectly, knowing how much he craves the recognition,” an X user wrote.

“This is a strategic move by Pakistan to prevent Trump from aligning with Israel against Iran. Now, Trump might pivot towards promoting peace in the Middle East, possibly with hopes of securing a Nobel Peace Prize,” one person stated.

Another X user kept it simple and said this was “Pakistan trying to distract Trump by stroking his ego so he doesn’t attack Iran.”

Despite these assumptions, the US continues to stand firmly with Israel. Dorothy Camille Shea, the US ambassador to the UN, blamed Iran for the unfolding conflict, saying the country should have agreed to a deal “that would have prevented them from ever obtaining a nuclear weapon”, Al Jazeera reported.

“While the United States was not involved in Israel’s strikes, let there be no doubt that the United States continues to stand with Israel and supports its actions against Iran’s nuclear ambitions,” Shea told the Security Council.

Some advice

An X user gave Trump a list of steps to follow if he wanted to win the Nobel Prize.

“1st, stop issuing threats to other nations. 2nd, replace Netanyahu and end all wars in [the] Middle East, as well as [the] Ukraine-Russia conflict. Finally, end Israel’s occupation of Syria, Lebanon and Palestine.”

Another user, sardonically said that if Trump did not win the peace prize, Pakistan should “make up a ‘best and biggest peacemaker anyone has ever seen but never gets credit for it, no one ever writes about, but probably the best deal maker ever’ peace prize and give it to him”.

“We might get our loans forgiven.”

Given Trump’s history — both as a person convicted of sexual abuse and as the president of the United States accused of inciting violent protesters among a slew of other things — it is difficult to ascertain if he will actually receive the Nobel Peace Prize. One thing is for sure: people’s reactions show that Pakistan has made a provocative choice by nominating Trump.