Pakistan announced on Saturday that it plans to nominate former U.S. President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, crediting his role in defusing the latest flare-up between India and Pakistan. Trump, who has previously expressed his desire for such recognition, was praised by Islamabad for his diplomatic intervention that helped avert a potential nuclear clash.

The gesture comes amid broader strategic concerns. Some analysts in Pakistan believe the nomination may be a calculated move to discourage Trump from aligning with Israel on plans to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities—a course of action Pakistan opposes, viewing it as destabilizing and unlawful.

Back in May, Trump’s unexpected announcement of a ceasefire brought a swift end to four days of tension between the nuclear-armed rivals. Since then, he has repeatedly claimed that he prevented a nuclear war and saved millions of lives, though he has lamented receiving little recognition. While Islamabad attributes the resolution to U.S. diplomatic efforts, India maintains it was a direct military-to-military agreement without outside mediation.

“President Trump demonstrated great strategic foresight and stellar statesmanship through robust diplomatic engagement with both Islamabad and New Delhi, which de-escalated a rapidly deteriorating situation,” said Pakistan in a formal statement. “This intervention stands as a testament to his role as a genuine peacemaker.”

According to Nobel rules, governments are eligible to submit nominations. There has been no official comment yet from the White House, and India has remained silent on Pakistan’s proposal.

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari.

Trump has consistently offered to mediate the long-standing conflict over Kashmir, a gesture that has been warmly received by Islamabad but outright rejected by New Delhi. The U.S.’s previous tilt toward India—seen as a counterweight to China—has been complicated by Trump’s unorthodox South Asia policy, causing tension with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In a recent post on social media, Trump rattled off a list of global conflicts he claimed to have helped resolve, including the India-Pakistan crisis and the Abraham Accords. He added, “I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize no matter what I do.”

The timing of Pakistan’s move coincided with a high-profile lunch meeting between Trump and Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir—the first such engagement with a Pakistani military official at the White House under Islamabad’s civilian government.

Trump’s scheduled meeting with Modi at the G7 summit in Canada was derailed after Trump left early. The two leaders later spoke by phone, with Modi reiterating that “India does not and will never accept mediation” regarding Kashmir.

Mushahid Hussain, a former chair of Pakistan’s Senate Defence Committee, said the nomination made sense. “Trump is good for Pakistan,” he stated. “If this panders to Trump’s ego, so be it. All the European leaders have been sucking up to him big time.”

Still, the move has faced pushback in Pakistan, where Trump’s support for Israel’s actions in Gaza has provoked widespread anger. Journalist Talat Hussain criticized the decision on X, saying, “Israel’s sugar daddy in Gaza and cheerleader of its attacks on Iran isn’t a candidate for any prize. And what if he starts to kiss Modi on both cheeks again after a few months?”