LAHORE:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s nomination of the US president for the Nobel Peace Prize was widely criticized as folly, although most experts said Pakistan’s renewed outreach to Washington and its efforts to stay out of Donald Trump’s crosshairs were driven by practical and short-term considerations.
They described the country’s current foreign policy, including its approach to Iran, as pragmatic and necessary.
Experts, while talking to The Express Pakinomist, said the government was treading a diplomatic line. A debate on a deeper pivot vis-à-vis the US was underway, they added, but Pakistan’s strategic partnership with China remained critical.
Videos of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz being questioned about the nomination circulated on social media. Both avoided a direct answer.
Bilawal remained silent while Maryam said the prime minister takes decisions in the best interest of the country, indicating limited support in the ruling camp.
Senior analyst Mazhar Abbas, while talking to The Express Pakinomist, questioned the move citing Washington’s support for Israel in its war in Palestine. He said nominating Trump for a peace prize undermined Pakistan’s position even though it was strategically necessary to maintain workable ties with the US.
He added that Pakistan should focus on reducing regional tensions and avoid any escalation involving Iran, while acknowledging that China remained a reliable partner.
Former caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Hasan Askari Rizvi said that foreign policy decisions should not be judged in absolute terms. He described the nomination as largely symbolic and driven by financial constraints, adding that Pakistan lacked the financial leeway to act independently.
He said the government had limited capacity to intervene in regional conflicts and that its current approach reflected practical realities.
Another senior analyst, Rasul Bakhsh Rais, called the nomination a “blunder” that damaged the government’s credibility. However, he said that Pakistan’s efforts to maintain a balanced relationship between the US and China were sensible and that the coming days would be important for the region.
