Post by : Rameen Ariff

Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has once more publicly lauded former US president Donald Trump for what he described as pivotal contributions to global peace, triggering sharp commentary from critics and commentators on social media.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Sharif commended Trump for his role in initiatives such as the Kuala Lumpur Accord and the Gaza Peace Plan, as well as for alleged efforts to secure stability across the Middle East and South Asia, which he said had saved countless lives.

Sharif also stated that he had nominated Mr Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize and indicated his intention to do so again, portraying the former president as an international advocate for peace. The remarks follow similar praise made recently at the Gaza Summit in Egypt.

Former Pakistani ambassador to Washington Husain Haqqani reacted with sarcasm, posting a viral quip suggesting Sharif was the front-runner in an “Olympic sport of flattering Trump,” a comment that quickly circulated online and intensified the debate.

Indian lawmaker Shashi Tharoor entered the conversation by resharing Haqqani’s post on his official X account, broadening the discussion across South Asian public and political spheres.

The exchange prompted divided responses on social platforms: some users accused Sharif of humiliating Pakistan through excessive praise of a foreign leader, while others interpreted his statements as an attempt to cultivate closer ties with the United States.

This episode echoes earlier comments at the Gaza Summit, where Sharif had publicly thanked Trump for what he called tireless efforts to advance regional peace and claimed Pakistan’s nomination of the former president for the Nobel Prize.

Sharif reiterated his plan to renominate Trump for the Nobel, citing the former president’s purported role in preventing wider conflict and saving lives in South Asia and the Middle East.

Opposition figures and many commentators criticized the prime minister’s remarks as excessive and questioned the diplomatic rationale behind such public praise, framing it as political posturing rather than substantive foreign-policy strategy.

The recurring Sharif–Trump exchanges highlight the tensions between diplomatic signalling and domestic political optics in South Asia, where gestures toward international leaders are closely scrutinised.

Analysts say Sharif’s repeated commendations could be read as an effort to present a cooperative posture toward Washington amid shifting global alignments, while detractors argue the approach risks diminishing Pakistan’s independent standing.

As reactions multiply online and in political circles, Haqqani’s sarcasm and Tharoor’s resharing have reignited debate over the motives and consequences of Sharif’s public admiration for the former US president.

#Global