Pakistan to nominate US President Trump for 2026 Nobel Peace Prize
Islamabad (PTI): The Pakistan government on Saturday said it has decided to formally recommend US President Donald Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for his "decisive diplomatic intervention" during the recent India-Pakistan conflict.
The announcement came in a post on X, with the headline: “Government of Pakistan Recommends President Donald J Trump for 2026 Nobel Peace Prize”.
The announcement came three days after Trump hosted Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir at the White House.
"The Government of Pakistan has decided to formally recommend President Donald J Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, in recognition of his decisive diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership during the recent India-Pakistan crisis," the post said.
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, with India carrying out precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on May 7.
The on-ground hostilities from the Indian and Pakistan sides that lasted for four days ended with an understanding of stopping the military actions following talks between the directors general of military operations of both sides on May 10.
Trump has been persistently claiming that he stopped a war between India and Pakistan. New Delhi has been maintaining that India's fierce counter-attack that day forced Pakistan to plead for ending the hostilities.
The Pakistan government's post on Saturday said that “at a moment of heightened regional turbulence”, President Trump “demonstrated great strategic foresight and stellar statesmanship through robust diplomatic engagement with both Islamabad and New Delhi”.
It further stated that the US president “de-escalated a rapidly deteriorating situation, ultimately securing a ceasefire and averting a broader conflict between the two nuclear states that would have had catastrophic consequences for millions of people in the region and beyond”.
“This intervention stands as a testament to his [Trump’s] role as a genuine peacemaker and his commitment to conflict resolution through dialogue,” it read.
The government also acknowledged President Trump’s “sincere offers” to help resolve the issue of Jammu and Kashmir.
The government noted that President Trump’s leadership during the 2025 Pakistan-India crisis “manifestly showcases the continuation of his legacy of pragmatic diplomacy and effective peace-building”.
Pakistan remains hopeful that Trump’s “earnest efforts” will continue to contribute towards regional and global stability, particularly in the context of ongoing crises in West Asia, including the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Gaza and the deteriorating escalation involving Iran, the post said.
Trump, meanwhile, bemoaned that he won't get a Nobel Peace Prize for "stopping" the war between India and Pakistan or for his efforts in the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Iran conflicts.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
SC asks states to treat rising child trafficking cases as grave; seeks coordinated action
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court has voiced grave concern over rising cases of child trafficking, saying gangs are operating across the country and if States and Union territories do not take immediate action, thing will go beyond control.
The court said only the state government and its home department can act vigilantly in this regard.
“As a court we can monitor, but ultimately the action has to be on the part of the state government, the police, and other agencies. Therefore, this is our humble request”, a bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and K V Viswanathan said during the hearing of a plea on Wednesday.
The bench was irked over the "lackadaisical" approach of several states and UTs in implementing a 2025 judgment aimed at dismantling organised trafficking networks.
Justice Viswanathan said the retrieval of children in some cases proves the problem can be tackled, but it requires a level of political and administrative will which is lacking at present.
The verdict, delivered on April 15, 2025, had mandated several institutional reforms, including completion of trials in trafficking cases within six months on a day-to-day basis.
It had also directed strengthening of Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) and improving investigation standards.
Besides asking for setting up of state-level committees to monitor vulnerable trafficking hotspots, it had asked the authorities to treat missing children cases as trafficking unless proven otherwise.
Earlier, the bench had termed the compliance reports filed by a few states as "nothing but an eye wash."
On Wednesday, the bench noted that Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Haryana, Lakshadweep, Mizoram, Odisha, and Punjab had still failed to file reports in the prescribed format.
When the home secretary of Madhya Pradesh offered an apology for the lapse, the bench granted a "final opportunity" but warned that continued failure would lead to states being officially branded as "defaulting".
The bench noted that at least 15 states are yet to constitute review committees mandated to identify and monitor trafficking-prone areas.
The matter will now be heard on April 29.
