Pak govt under fire for nominating Trump for Nobel Peace Prize
Lahore (PTI): The Pakistan government, as well as the country's military establishment, have come under severe criticism from netizens on social media for recommending US President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Ishaq Dar, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, has formally sent a letter to the Nobel Peace Prize Committee in Norway, recommending the US President for the award for his "decisive diplomatic intervention" during the recent India-Pakistan conflict.
Soon after the announcement, netizens on X began chiding the Pakistani government for pleasing its "master", the US president.
The criticism intensified after the US attacked Iran's Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites to destroy the country's nuclear programme. US President Trump warned of additional strikes if Iran retaliated.
"Pakistanis, beware! After an attack on Iran, PM Shehbaz might not only award President Trump the Nobel Peace Prize, but also bestow upon him the Tamgha-e-Jurat (Medal of Courage), Tamgha-e-Shujaat (Medal of Bravery), Tamgha-e-Basalat (Medal of Valour), Tamgha-e-Imtiaz (Medal of Excellence), and perhaps even the Nishan-e-Haider (Pakistan’s highest military honour)," a user said on X on Sunday.
Pakistani journalist Ameer Abbas said: "The same Trump that PML-N senior leader Khawaja Saad Rafique once compared to Genghis Khan and Hitler — last night, the very same PML-N government nominated that 'Genghis Khan and Hitler' for the Nobel Peace Prize. Who is orchestrating such shameful and cowardly decisions?"
"How far will Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari go to please the powers that be — throwing the nation, the system, parliament, the Constitution, democracy, and political traditions into the abyss?" he asked.
Political analyst and columnist Raheeq Abbasi sarcastically said that the very Donald Trump whom Westerners were protesting against for war crimes was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
"Is there any sense of honour or humanity in those who nominated Trump, who vetoed the Gaza ceasefire resolution 8 times, for the Nobel Prize?" he asked.
"Thank you, Hafiz Sahib (Army Chief Gen Asim Munir)," he said in another post.
Another netizen said the government could have nominated Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the prize, but thankfully settled for Trump. "It’s also possible Netanyahu has been shortlisted for the next category."
One Jarjees Ahmad said: "We are recommending someone involved in the massacre of Palestinians for a Nobel Peace Prize, and at the same time, we claim to stand with Iran. What a supreme level of hypocrisy."
Major (R) Asim accused the military establishment of making decisions at its will and said the "uncrowned kings" of the country were "ready to sell out the nation whenever they please".
Another social media user, Aamir Khan, said: "Shahbaz Sharif, Asif Zardari, Nawaz Sharif, and Asim Munir have nominated Donald Trump — a terrorist responsible for the massacre of Muslims — for a Nobel Prize. What greater betrayal could there be to Muslims, to our country, and the people of Pakistan? The nation must hold them accountable."
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Top US counterterrorism official resigns over Iran war, says Iran posed no imminent threat
Washington (AP): Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Centre, announced his resignation on Tuesday, saying he “cannot in good conscience” back the Trump administration's war in Iran.
Kent said on social media Iran “posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”
There was no immediate comment from the White House.
Kent, a former political candidate with connections to right-wing extremists, was confirmed to his post last July on a 52-44 vote.
As head of the National Counterterrorism Centre, he was in charge of an agency tasked with analysing and detecting terrorist threats.
Before entering President Donald Trump's administration, Kent ran two unsuccessful campaigns for Congress in Washington state. He also served in the military, seeing 11 deployments as a Green Beret, followed by work at the CIA.
Democrats strongly opposed Kent's confirmation, pointing to his past ties to far-right figures and conspiracy theories. During his 2022 congressional campaign, Kent paid Graham Jorgensen, a member of the far-right military group the Proud Boys, for consulting work. He also worked closely with Joey Gibson, the founder of the Christian nationalist group Patriot Prayer, and attracted support from a variety of far-right figures.
During his Senate confirmation hearing, Kent also refused to distance himself from a conspiracy theory that federal agents instigated the January 6, 2021, attack at the Capitol, as well as false claims that Trump, a Republican, won the 2020 election over Democrat Joe Biden.
Democrats grilled Kent on his participation in a group chat on Signal that was used by Trump's national security team to discuss sensitive military plans.
Still, Republicans praised Kent's counterterrorism qualifications, pointing to his military and intelligence experience.
Sen. Tom Cotton, the GOP chair of the intelligence committee, said in a floor speech that Kent had "dedicated his career to fighting terrorism and keeping Americans safe.”
