Shehbaz backs Trump, but Nobel Prize goes to Pillay

South African judge Navanethem “Navi” Pillay has won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, despite Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressing hope that US President Donald Trump would receive the prestigious award for his role in easing tensions between Pakistan and India.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced on Friday that Pillay, 85, had been honoured for her efforts to promote peace and international law. The announcement came shortly after Shehbaz reiterated Pakistan’s support for Trump’s nomination, highlighting the US president’s involvement in securing a ceasefire between the two South Asian neighbours.

In a post on X, the prime minister praised Trump’s intervention, saying it had helped bring Pakistan and India back from the brink of a wider conflict. He also noted that the ceasefire remained in place.

Shehbaz said Pakistan had nominated Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his contribution to regional peace. He expressed hope that Trump’s efforts to prevent conflict and promote stability in South Asia would receive international recognition.

Pakistan announced its decision to nominate Trump on June 21, 2025. The government cited his role in helping facilitate a ceasefire between Pakistan and India following days of military exchanges between the nuclear-armed countries. Trump had claimed that Washington helped mediate the agreement announced on May 10, 2025.

The US president has repeatedly argued that his involvement in resolving international conflicts makes him deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize. On October 8, he again expressed confidence in his record while acknowledging that the committee might not select him.

Trump did not win the 2025 award, which went to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado. In January 2026, Machado presented her physical Nobel medal to Trump during a White House meeting as a gesture recognising what she described as his support for the Venezuelan people’s freedom.

However, the Norwegian Nobel Committee subsequently clarified that the physical medal could be transferred to another person, but the Nobel Peace Prize itself remained permanently associated with its original recipient.

Trump has continued to publicly express his desire to receive the award, pointing to his claimed role in resolving several international disputes.