NEW DELHI: Hours after bilateral talks with US President, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday turned into a spokesperson for Donald Trump in his UNGA speech, parroting his claim that the US President played an “active role” in brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan after the military action in May.In his 25-minute speech, Sharif pushed for a Nobel peace prize for Trump, claiming that he is “a man of peace.”“Though in a position of strength, Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire facilitated by President Trump’s bold and vigorous leadership. We express our deep appreciation to him and his team for their active role in bringing about the ceasefire,” Shahbaz said.“Who would have lived to tell what happened? And therefore, in recognition of Trump’s wonderful and outstanding contribution to promoting peace in our part of the world, Pakistan nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize. I think this is the least we can do for his love of peace — truly, he is a man of peace,” he added.In his speech, Shehbaz also thanked countries including China, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Azerbaijan, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and the UN secretary general for extending diplomatic support to Pakistan during its clashes with India.Earlier, Donald Trump met Shehbaz Sharif and army chief Asim Munir in the Oval Office. However, the Pakistani guests were made to wait for more than thirty minutes in the lobby.Speaking to reporters, he said, “We have a great leader coming, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, and the Field Marshal. Field Marshal is a very great guy, and so is the Prime Minister, both, and they’re coming, and they may be in this room right now.”Sharif was among senior officials from eight Islamic nations who met Trump on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly this week to discuss strategies for ending the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.Trump has frequently claimed he helped in easing out military tensions between India and Pakistan, saying he brokered peace during India’s Operation Sindoor in response to the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.Prime Minister Narendra Modi, however, has denied any foreign influence in the operation.For Trump, Pakistan is also central to renewed US interest in Afghanistan. He has highlighted the strategic importance of retaking the Bagram Air Base near Kabul, citing its proximity to China’s nuclear assets.
