Veteran journalist Najam Sethi has suggested that Pakistan’s leadership could potentially be considered for a Nobel Peace Prize, following their success in facilitating a major diplomatic breakthrough between global powers.
Sethi shared his perspective was shared during a recent interview with Indian journalist Karan Thapar on The Wire, which explored Pakistan’s pivotal role in the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Iran and the United States.
Karan Thapar posed the questio: “Do you believe your Prime Minister and perhaps your Army Chief can be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, perhaps alongside the Qataris, or would that be too much of an imitation of Trump’s ambition to take it?”
In response, Sethi emphasised the scale of the intervention, stating, “It has been an extraordinary season of war and peace in the Middle East, and we have arrived at it solely because of three people, the Prime Minister, Field Marshal and Foreign Minister of Pakistan… all of whom have been acknowledged by name by Iranians and at least two by the Americans… so yes, this calls for it!”
Sethi further underscored the influence of the military leadership in the negotiations. He remarked: “Field Marshal is a man who 1. Takes risks, 2. Takes quick decisions, which is very rare in such situations, he has been very prominent and the driving force behind it, which is why his name comes even before the Prime Minister’s.”
Regarding the weight of the commitments, he added, “His word matters and he is the one giving the guarantees.”
Sethi highlighted the significance of the May 2025 India-Pakistan conflict, which he believes provided a turning point for Pakistan’s international standing. He noted, “Pakistan has established itself after the May conflict with India as a military power, with nuclear weapons as well.”
Building on this, he described Pakistan’s unique diplomatic posture: “On top of that as a negotiator, when no one was willing to step into these muddy waters, Pakistan acted with haste and took the risks, with great courage.”
