Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif licks Trump's wounds as Indian-origin jurist wins peace Nobel

As Indian-origin jurist Navi Pillay won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif renewed his pitch for Donald Trump, crediting him with ending the India-Pakistan mini-war, despite New Delhi's rejection of US mediation claims.

In Short

• Shehbaz Sharif renews Trump's Nobel pitch as Indian-origin jurist wins
• Pakistan credits Trump with India-Pak ceasefire, a claim Delhi rejects
• Trump accepted Machado's Nobel medal, but honour stayed with her

US President Donald Trump wanted the Nobel Peace Prize, but Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif appears to have left doing the consolation work.

Even as the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize went to Indian-origin South African jurist Navi Pillay on Friday, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif renewed his campaign for Trump to receive the coveted honour. Sharif on Friday once again credited the US President with preventing an India-Pakistan war in May 2025, despite New Delhi's repeated rejection of claims of American mediation.

In a post on X, Sharif said Trump had played a "historic role in advancing peace in South Asia", claiming his intervention brought India and Pakistan back from the brink and secured a ceasefire. Recalling Pakistan's earlier nomination, he said, "We sincerely hope the [US] President's efforts to promote peace and prevent conflict in our region receive due recognition this time."

Pakistan had announced its support for Trump's Nobel candidature in June 2025, following the four-day mini-war with India. Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir had left no stone unturned to woo Trump into speaking its tone. Sharif's renewed endorsement came after months of Trump repeatedly claiming credit for ending international wars. This came even as the US military is engaged in the war against Iran. It's enforcing a naval blockade and preparing options for renewed strikes despite Trump's claims of being a peacemaker.

After the US President didn't get the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, he accepted the medal of Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, the winner of the last instalment. However, the honour cannot be transferred to another person. Just two days before the Nobel Peace Prize announcement on Friday, Trump had expressed doubts about winning. He said that the committee had a reputation for "maybe not giving it to people like me."

PAK PM SHEHBAZ SHARIF CAMPAIGNS FOR NOBEL FOR TRUMP, AGAIN

Sharif's latest appeal is in line with Pakistan's diplomatic campaign to credit Trump with brokering the ceasefire that ended the May 2025 India-Pakistan four-day war.

On June 21, 2025, Islamabad announced its decision to recommend Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, citing his intervention during the confrontation between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

Trump has repeatedly presented the ceasefire as one of his diplomatic achievements. India, however, has maintained that the cessation of military action was agreed upon directly between Indian and Pakistani military officials, without American mediation. India said that the Pakistani DGMO had called up his Indian counterpart and sought a ceasefire.

Sharif's Friday statement was not a fresh nomination. It reiterated Pakistan's earlier endorsement. Sharif expressed hope that Trump's contribution would finally receive recognition.

TRUMP'S NOBEL DREAM REMAINS UNFULFILLED

Trump's disappointment over the Nobel is not new. When Machado won in October 2025, the White House accused the Nobel Committee of choosing "politics over peace".

In January 2026, Machado presented Trump with her Nobel medal, which he accepted. However, the Nobel authorities clarified that while a medal could change hands, the title of laureate could not. Trump's frustration also surfaced in a message to Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store in January, when he linked the Nobel snub to his approach towards Greenland.

However, the Norwegian Nobel Committee makes its decision independently, and neither public endorsements nor nominations guarantee the prize.

WHO IS INDIAN-ORIGIN NOBEL WINNER NAVI PILLAY?

The 2026 Peace Prize went to 85-year-old Navanethem "Navi" Pillay, born into a Tamil-origin family in Durban, South Africa.

A former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Pillay served as a judge at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Court. She also chaired a UN commission investigating violations in the Palestinian territories.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee recognised her lifelong contribution to international justice and the rule of law, making her the fifth South African national to receive the Peace Prize.

And, for Trump, the Nobel has remained elusive. For Sharif, today was another opportunity to argue that the American President deserved more.

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(Written by Sushim Mukul)